Gatecrash: Part 2
by The Wallflower
Summary: Mega Man & Zelda Crossover. It's future vs. fantasy as Link comes into Mega Man's world. They must overcome the cultural gap as they investigate Dr. Wily's latest plan: putting a human brain inside a robot.
1. Chapter 33: Welcome Home

_This story is in no way intended to infringe on the established copyrights and trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd. and Nintendo Co., Ltd. It is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended for sale. It may be freely distributed providing that no alterations to the story are made._

_The characters and incidents portrayed and the names in this story used herein are fictitious and any similarity to the name, character, or history of any person, living, dead, or otherwise, is purely coincidental and unintentional._

_For your reference, today you will have: mega trouble._

* * *

**_Author's Note:_** The following is the second part of a Mega Man/Legend of Zelda crossover story. Part 1 can be found in the _Zelda_ category or under my profile in 'Stories Authored' - Story ID: 2632310

_**GATECRASH**_

**PART 2**

**by**

**Eric Juneau**

_Chapter 33: Welcome Home_

The laboratory was vacant, quiet, and still. Scattered items and boxes, bits of leftover technology, laid haphazardly on the ground, waiting to be cleaned up. Silver walls reflected the white ceiling light left on, after nobody had come to turn it off. No one was there to see the air particles shimmer in the middle of the room. Bright photons lit up like fireflies and gravitated toward a single spot in the space. A star like orb of luminescence grew and grew as the photons collected, until it collapsed into itself and opened up into a giant black and gold portal. The iridescent circle undulated like a body of water, and hummed like a generator increasing in velocity. Small tendrils of violet electricity danced along its surface.

The circle pulsated faster, like an organic heartbeat, as if it was going to vomit up something. When it also seemed like it was vibrating it spat out a blue-armored robot onto the floor. Gracefully he tumbled down and landed on one knee, his boots clinking against the metal floor.

Mega Man rose from his kneeling position as if he was being reborn. He looked around briefly, and upon recognizing his surroundings, was very glad to be back home. He turned around and the portal winked out like an eye just as he saw it. With the portal closed, he said a silent goodbye to Hyrule and his hero friend and turned back around. He wasn't without a little regret for leaving them behind, but they would do just as well without his presence. They had before. It was time he focus back on his own world.

Looking up at the chronometer, he found time had passed at the same rate in Hyrule as it did here. But he had arrived in a different room than he had left, which made Mega Man curious. With all the scientific variables that floated in the air from that strange teleportation device, he was surprised he made it back at all, and not embedded in the core of some planet. This was one of Dr. Light's labs in the basement, but not the same one he left from. The transportational device was nowhere to be seen. The door was not the same as what he had closed to destroy Elec Man. Did that mean he had come here without the help of the device? And it was a mess, like someone had torn through the place looking for something. If Wily's robots had made it down here, it wasn't to destroy, it was to untidy.

"Boy, you're gone for a few days and everything goes to pieces," he said to himself. The clutter around him did nothing to alleviate his fears about what had happened since he left. Any number of things could have happened in the days he was gone. Without Mega Man there to defend, Wily could have taken over the world in that short a time. He was surprised the doctor hadn't completely destroyed the mansion and all its residents, since that was what Mega Man thought his intention was when he barged in here with a mechanical tank and six robot masters. Dr. Light and Roll could be dead right now and he had been putzing around Hyrule all that time. He should never have waited as long as he did to get back. Ridiculous. But he couldn't compound that fear by standing there repenting. Now was the time for action. And he would never know what had happened if he stood there dumbly.

Though the room was a mess, the equipment was still in working order. It was just the free-floating properties that were damaged, mostly documents and some small tools and electronic boxes. He ran to the nearest computer console and started up the intranet utilities. The first thing he did was activate in-house communication.

"Dr. Light?" he spoke into the telecom. "Dr. Light?" While he called for his creator, he multi-tasked and brought up the tracking signals. It looked like there were no moving objects in the house - human or robot. It was completely deserted. A kidnapping, perhaps. Dr. Wily had done it before, that was likely his reason for invading his home. Even stranger, as he panned through household cameras, the building had been completely repaired. Had Wily even been there? Had Mega Man been transported back in time to before he left? A quick re-confirmation on the computer's time said that he wasn't. Time was flowing as smooth and steady as ever. There were definitely some events that he needed filling in on.

"Roll? Can you hear me?" he talked into the microphone. Nothing coming from the house. He tried an internal link with Roll as he had just before he left. "Roll, please come in." His link hung there in dead space, never getting an answer. "Roll! Roll!" he communicated over the wireless line. Nothing. The connection had terminated seeking. Something strange was definitely going on. Why would she be neglecting to communicate with him? Unless she was otherwise incapacitated. He couldn't bear the thought of her being kidnapped by Wily too, probably being reprogrammed or disassembled. Maybe put into Wily's robot army.

Something Mega Man couldn't put his finger on, but this seemed less and less like Wily's doing. If something had happened to Dr. Light, where would Roll be? Either looking for him or... somewhere else he couldn't deduce. Mega Man shook his head, there were too many unknowns to try and form a reasonable hypothesis. Despite these obstacles he was still optimistic, since he was now home. This was his environment and he had the control again. His next step was to get topside and find out what in the world had happened in his absence. He shut off the console and moved towards the door out.

No sooner had he done that than he felt a sensation on the top of his helmet. He looked back, aiming his arm cannon. The leftover debris on the floor shook and gave way to several small heli-robots hovering in a circle around him. They were shaped like blue pill bugs with needle-like snouts and scowling visual receptors.

"Mega Man detected. Program activated," they buzzed like a choir. It looked like Wily hadn't left without a calling card after all. A trap especially meant for him. One of them fired a red laser from its snout. Mega Man jumped out of the way as it harmlessly scorched the floor.

"Nice welcome party, but I'll pass," he sneered in the air and triggered his firing circuits. The plasma cannon sparked pitifully with an unpleasant defunct sound.

"What?" he exclaimed as he landed. Nothing came out. He tried firing again. Not even a sparkle this time, just another irritating buzzing noise, indicating that something was wrong.

The hover-bots began pelting him with laser shots. Mega Man hastily sped out of the way. The shots were poorly timed, but there were a lot of them to avoid as he ducked and weaved around the room.

As he did so, he performed a quick diagnostic on his Mega Buster. The cannon ran on internal energy, not like the copied weapons, so it should never have run out. That wasn't the problem here, though. It looked like the cannon was kaput. The test quickly revealed why - firing the Triforce beam had fried his circuits. The weapon slot the golden power had occupied had been rendered completely unusable. He'd never be able to fire that weapon again. Given its power, it was probably better that way. But if he didn't find Dr. Light to get repaired he'd never be able to fire _anything_ again.

Mega Man staggered away as a stray laser shot nearly hit him in the back. These pesky guards were going to be difficult to defeat if he didn't have his primary weapon. They were darting in and out as fast as hummingbirds, shooting their lasers and swooping to and fro to avoid being attacked. He had to avoid getting hit as much as possible due to his low level of power. But without his arm cannon, how would he do it? There had to be another way.

"I didn't travel halfway across dimensions just to get killed by a couple of bugs." He ran over to the cabinet side and grabbed hold of the industrial strength molding. In his vice-grip he easily tore it off the plating. Turning back to the bots he held the strip of metal out like a sword. "Let me show you some things I learned on my vacation."

He leapt up into the air and sliced downward. The bot split neatly in half, dropping to the ground. The others spread out to take its place and fill in the gap. Mega Man brandished his makeshift sword as he squatted down into a battle position. "It's definitely different without my buster," he commented. "But I'll make do."

He threw the sword into the air like a boomerang at the hover-bot to his right. It got caught in the propeller blades, tearing them like tinfoil. Without lift, the bot dropped like a rock, bursting into a yellow explosion on the ground.

The sword hit against the ceiling and dropped out of reach. The other six heli-bots were about to fire. Mega Man tipped up a fallen metal table and slid under it. The metal blocked the laser shots, fizzling them out on the titanium shield. Like the mindless drones they were, they kept firing, expecting to penetrate the shield, while Mega Man sat under it, planning what to do next.

"The best offense is a good defense," Mega Man quipped. He grabbed hold of the two table legs and swung the heavy board around like a bat, smashing two of the bots nearest the wall. The ruined bugs slid off the wall like their organic counterparts. Four to go.

Mega Man slipped the table over his back like a turtle as the assault continued. With the weight of the table boring down on him he trudged to the corner of the room where his sword had dropped as the malicious helicopters rained down fire. He set it down and cautiously reached out from his protection for the piece of metal. A red laser beam sparked near his hand, knocking the weapon away.

"Smarter than you seem," the android muttered. He picked up the table again and set it on its short side so Mega Man could stand behind it. The heli-bots flew up and surrounded him.

"Can't we just talk about this?"

The robots fired their lasers. Mega Man jumped up in the air, narrowly avoiding the explosion. The robot's turrets followed him in the air and fired at the apex of his leap. Mega Man tucked into a ball as the blasts flew over his head. As soon as he touched down he rolled back and grabbed his makeshift sword from the corner.

"Now, you really get to see what I learned."

He ran forward and slid, kicking the table out from above him. He ended on the opposite side of the room as the table crashed into another hoverbot, catching on its snout and then its rotors, sending it crashing to the ground. The remaining three fired at will, leaving Mega Man scattering in a circle to avoid the blasts. When he reached the end of the room he jumped on the wall cabinet and flew at the hover-bots.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion from there. He kicked off of the wall in such a way that he spun around like a top, holding his sword out, effectively becoming a weed whacker. The blade spun through the first hover-bot in a clean slice. The second one caught the molding in its helicopter blades, yanking it out of Mega Man's hand. It spun end over end like a meteor and crashed into the wall, crushing it.

Mega Man was about to crash headlong into the third and final hover bot, whose laser cannon was lit red, about to fire in his face. With lightning reflexes Mega Man reached out and grabbed the enemy out of the air, like plucking an apple.

The robot landed feet-first on the ground, holding the struggling helicopter in his hand with the laser end pointed clearly away from him. It wobbled back and forth like a child's toy struggling to be released. "Not as tough as you look." He turned it upside down and it fell sharply as the rotors propelled it downward. Mega Man smashed it under his boot.

"All right, that distraction's out of the way." Mega Man dusted himself off and exited the room, ready to find his two missing family members. The automatic sliding door opened readily for him and shut as soon as he was through, leaving the room behind him empty, with a little more junk in it than what he arrived to.

It was not empty for long though. Nearly a moment after Mega Man left, the shimmering portal materialized into the room again, astounding anyone who would have been in there. It throbbed violently once and out came a human clad in green, wearing a cap of the same color. The disorientation caused him to land hard on the white metal floor, nearly sending his teeth into his tongue as he lay on his stomach.

"Ugh," Link said, "That's not fun." He readjusted his cap as he stood up. Patting himself down he checked out all his parts. He felt frozen on the inside but burning on the outside. Like broken apart and put back together again. He wasn't sure all his components had made it through, but on a quick inspection, it looked like whatever he had on his person when he went through made it with him.

Once he had adjusted to feeling normal again, he looked around in wonderment, but not awe. It looked like he had ended up in a messy bathroom. He was expecting the tall buildings that were spoken to him and dozens of beings like Mega Man to be wandering around. This looked like some sort of fancy storeroom that hadn't been cleaned. Boxes and indiscernible items were strewn about the space. Link guessed if Mega Man wasn't human, maybe he didn't live like a human. Maybe he didn't bother with niceties like cleanliness, since they didn't care. Link turned over a box that was in his way.

Suddenly a blue globular object rose out what he had just kicked over. Link's eyes went wide as he stared at some sort of flying bug in the air with a long snout pointed at him.

"Destroy human," it buzzed.

**Next Chapter: House Guest**


	2. Chapter 34: House Guest

_Chapter 34: House Guest_

Link stared down the flying bug, but it returned a lifeless gaze, hovering in the air up and down. With a buzz, the snout shot a fine red laser beam at the human. Link instinctively turned away and the beam grazed his shoulder.

Link's eyes went wide with pain. He'd never felt any sort of burning like this before, ten times that of normal fire, and it wasn't even a direct hit. He grabbed his shoulder and ran out of the way.

"Wait, wait, I'm a friend," Link exclaimed. The menacing hoverbot followed him with the barrel of his blaster, keeping it neatly targeted on the scampering human. Link found a large object to duck behind and collect himself. He checked his shoulder and saw a bleeding red mark was drawn through the scorched clothing. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't about to be negotiated with.

The robot accelerated forward and turned to Link behind the box. Link narrowly dived out of the laser blast as it disintegrated the objects around him. Link's desperate flee mode turned to fight as he ran out of places to hide. He took his shield off his back and prepared to charge.

As soon as he moved forward the helicopter fired another shot. Link brought up his shield to block the blast. The laser burned a neat hole through the metal plating with wisps of smoke coming out. Link peeked on top of the armor, aghast at his penetrated protection. He turned back to the robot with anger in his eyes.

Rolling out of the line of fire, he grabbed the boomerang out of his pack and flung it with all his might at the attacker. The wooden weapon spun around and around and smacked against its side with a clang, doing little more than knocking it slightly off-course, which it immediately corrected. The boomerang flew back to his hand and Link dodged the subsequent blast, but the laser brushed against the lower part of his tunic, suddenly setting it ablaze.

Link shrieked in surprise, batting out the flames quickly. He jumped up and down, trying to keep being a moving target without spontaneously combusting. The flames left a black mark on his frayed clothing. While Link was distracted with this, the heli-bot fired again, making a direct hit on Link's leg.

"Arrgh!" Link shouted in agony. He dropped to one knee, struggling to stay upright, holding the muscle that had been wounded. His sword clanked to the ground at his side. It felt like a white-hot needle had just been jabbed into his thigh. Turning his gaze from his leg back up to the assailant, the bot continued staring at him behind those soulless scowling eyes. It whirred silently as it readjusted its turret, and Link knew that its next target was going to be his head.

The bot was suddenly encased in a purple energy wave that came from behind. The robot shuddered once and crumpled under the power, making it explode in a bright flash of yellow light. Link held his hand up to protect himself from the falling debris. When it cleared, he looked up to see what had happened.

Mega Man stood there in the doorway, holding a large canister with a purple end, glowing in a repeating pattern.

"Link?"

"Hey, neat trick."

"It's an ion cannon I found. What are you doing here?" Mega Man exclaimed with alarm.

"Hurting- ah-" he said as he tried to stand up, putting way too much weight on his injured leg. Mega Man quickly rushed over to help him up. "First the bear trap, now this. I'm not gonna have any legs left by the end," he quipped.

Mega Man checked the injury. A very bad burn mark on Link's leg, square in the center, and a more minor one on the shoulder told the tale.

"This needs to get treated. Come with me."

Link made little argument as he put his arm over Mega Man's shoulder and used him as a crutch to stand up on. They hobbled through the white laboratory rooms, all of which looked fairly similar to a first time observer.

"Is this where you live?" Link asked astonishedly. It was indescribably strange, but for some reason, seemed very much like Mega Man's taste. Every room looked the same - same size, same shape, same look, same sort of staticness. And none seemed to have any purpose behind them. But the fact that light came streaming in from the ceiling was amazing him. The sun must have been awful powerful here to come in from the skylights with such intensity. It must have been a desert world.

"Yes. Well, in a sense. You're in the basement laboratory of the Light manor. There're more human comforts at ground level. How did you get here?"

"I took the same way you did. Man, I thought the waterways were a ride," Link said, still looking up.

Mega Man hadn't experienced any tactile sensation during his journey so he thought nothing of it. "The portal? Why? You said you wanted to visit, but-"

"No, no, this was not a voluntary trip. After I said goodbye to you, the ceiling caved in and blocked the way out. I didn't really have much choice after that."

"Mmm, that's going to be a problem."

"Why?"

"Because _that_ is what got me there in the first place." Mega Man pointed with his free hand as they entered another room.

There stood a mangled piece of machinery, consisting of wires, buttons, piping, and metal shards torn away in a pile on the floor.

"Uh, I take it it's broken," Link said.

"Correct. I'm positive we couldn't replicate the portal that brought me from Hyrule to here. Even if I knew how, the Triforce beam burnt out my circuits. I'll never be able to use it again."

"Oh, no," Link said sympathetically. "You don't have any seers here who could help?"

"There are no seers here anywhere," Mega Man said as they shambled past the broken equipment. Link looked back once at it, wondering what it looked like assembled. "The man who built that device is nowhere to be found right now. But we need to get you healed first."

"So I'm stuck here until we can find that guy?"

"Even if we find him, we may never be able to replicate the circumstances that brought the portal to Hyrule."

"So, I could be stuck here permanently?" Link bit his lip.

"Perhaps."

"Where's the guy who can rebuild it?"

"I just said, I don't know. I just arrived here right before you did. I have no idea what's been happening since I left." Mega Man hit a panel next to the door which slid up into the wall.

"Whoa, what was that?"

"A door."

Link looked up into the seam the gray panel had disappeared into. "Is it going to come back?"

"Yes. On your head, if you don't move." Mega Man gently tugged on Link as they passed through the archway. The door closed once they were through. Link looked behind him to see it do so.

"So you just touch that panel and the door moves?"

"Yes." Mega Man realized Link was being exposed to certain things which were certainly going to wreak havoc on his idea of living. It was like bringing a man from a thousand years past into the future. There was no precedent for what he was dealing with, for how to counsel Link. "You might see some strange things while you're here. Let me assure you they are all harmless and not a product of magic, just advanced science."

"Sure, sure," Link said. Mega Man expected Link to be more close-minded with his way of life being so unambitious. He seemed to be taking it all in with the inquisitiveness of a child.

They entered another door that whooshed up into the ceiling. This revealed a very tiny room which they entered.

"This is an elevator," Mega Man explained. "It is an automatic lifting device consisting of a cage that is raised and lowered mechanically in a vertical-"

"Yes, yes, we have elevators in Hyrule. I'm not _that_ stupid." They were operated by rope and men, and there needed to be two at a time, one to go up and one to go down, but they existed. They were used more in mining tunnels, since no building could be built higher than Hyrule Castle.

Link felt a slight sensation in his body, as if it got heavier. In a flash, the sensation was replaced with being in motion, as if floating. "What's happening?"

"We're moving to the ground floor of the manor."

"Oh," he said, "I knew that." Link, despite hearing about elevators, had never actually been on one.

The lift reached the top floor and beeped pleasantly. The door opened, and the two of them stepped out into a hallway. The corridor held some doorways with panels next to them and some art pieces. Link's head remained glued to a fern as they passed it. It must have looked completely alien to him, Mega Man thought. The robot brought him out to a sitting room, where there were some chairs and sofas, lamps, and a standing plant in the corner.

"Wow," Link said, examining all the features of the room, especially fascinated with the bed-like resemblance of the sofa and wall embedded with bookcases. "It's the castle of the future."

"One could say that, but we have no governmental power. This is a dwelling for private citizens."

"Private citizens live like this? What kind of place does the king live in? Ow." Link was so fascinated with what he was seeing he temporarily forgot about the stabbing pain in his leg. Mega Man caught him as he dropped down.

"We don't have a king, but these are all questions I'll answer later as soon as we get you healed."

"I never remember to fill my potions," Link said idly.

Mega Man took Link to the next room which was the bathroom and leaned him just outside the door. The robot entered and opened a drawer below the mirror and grabbed a metal syringe-looking device. He came out and kneeled down to Link's leg, pressing a switch on the device. A yellow light began flashing on the top as he waved it over Link's wound.

"Second degree burn. This'll take care of it." The light switched to orange. Suddenly, Link felt no pain in his leg. In fact, with the sudden absence of pain, a strange echo was left in its place. He shook it away, testing out how it felt. It was like it was better than before.

"That was it?"

"Sure." Mega Man stood and did a quick wave over Link's shoulder. Any lingering sensation in that area lifted away like a blanket.

"You don't need a tourniquet or a potion or anything?"

"This device was all that was needed. And we don't have or need potions here."

"Really? Wow, definitely more advanced in medicine, if all you do is wave a stick over me. You sure that's not magic?"

"I assure you, magic does not exist here." Mega Man replaced the device in the cupboard and came out. Link peeked inside the bathroom to see what that was like. It felt like the cleanest, most sanitary area he'd ever seen, enough for doing surgical procedures in.

Mega Man said, "Okay, I need to check the computer."

"Computer? What's that?"

Mega Man briefly thought how best to define a computer to Link, because it had so many definitions, and because Link wouldn't understand many of them. "It's a device that we use for controlling various aspects of our lives, like storing information, communication, entertainment. Actually, it's a little like a robot, but it's distributed throughout the house."

"Ah," Link said, half-comprehending. This was probably something he was going to have to see to understand.

As they entered the room, Mega Man turned back to Link. "Stay here, and try not to touch anything."

"What, do you think I'm five years old?" he commented as Mega Man walked away. The robot simply didn't want Link activating the thermostat and putting the house in arctic temperatures by accident.

Mega Man went to the sofa and sat down in front of the coffee table. He flipped the top lid of the monitor open and activated the telecommunications program. He noticed that the last person contacted was Dr. Mihail Sergeivitch Cossack and it was made not too long ago, after he had left. He was a trusted friend of the family and might know where Roll was if she was the one who made the call. Mega Man redialed the connection.

The terminal monitor listed the command script it went through every time it made a call. The feminine computer said, "This call is long-distance and you will be charged an additional fee for connecting as described in the terms of agreement contract with TeleTech International. Do you accept these terms?"

"Yes," Mega Man said.

"What is that? Is there someone else here?" Link barged into the room.

"It's just the computer." Mega Man noticed Link was holding something in his hand that was whirring. "What are you holding?"

"I don't know, I was hoping you could tell me." Link held up the device for Mega Man's scrutiny. "It's not dangerous, is it?"

"It's a dentison. It's a device used for cleaning teeth."

"Really? How does it work?" Link tried putting it in his mouth and felt an incredibly peculiar sensation as his teeth nearly vibrated out of their gums.

"Mega Man?" the monitor said in a thick Russian accent. The two turned to the monitor, which showed a middle-aged man with graying light brown hair, matching beard, and thick square glasses.

"Dr. Cossack?"

"Mega Man, you are alive! Oh, is so good to be knowink."

"Is that what the computer looks like?" Link asked. Mega Man waved his hand to shush him. Link had no idea what he was looking at. Maybe the computer was some kind of king you went to for knoweldge or control. Like a fortune-teller for the world. He certainly spoke strangely like a fortune-teller.

"Where have you been?" The doctor asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Do you know what's happened while I've been away?"

"Acch, terrible. Amazink. Wily crashed your home, but iz been repaired, az you can see. Dr. Light was crushed by ceiling fall." Mega Man's eyes went wide with fear. "But iz all right," Cossack quickly corrected. "Iz in hospital, not hurt too badly."

Mega Man was very relieved. "And Roll?"

"Roll iz gone?" Cossack asked with confusion.

Mega Man was no longer relieved.

**Next Chapter: Contact**


	3. Chapter 35: Contact

_Chapter 35: Contact_

"Where did Roll go?"

"That's what I was asking you," Mega Man responded.

"Hmm. Very interestink."

"She wasn't kidnapped by Wily, was she?"

"No, no one's heard about Wily since attack."

That didn't surprise Mega Man in the least. Wily's plans were always unknown until they sprung. Fortunately, they usually turned out to be the same every time, just a few tweaks in the strategy here and there.

Cossack continued, "She was upgraded though."

"Upgraded?"

"Da, but am not knowink to what extent. Our conversation was very brief."

"Okay, what about Dr. Light?"

"He iz at Mercy hospital. Doing well, I understand."

"Okay, thanks."

"Let me know if I am beink of more help," he said brightly.

"Sure will. Bye, doc."

Mega Man turned off the communication.

"Who's Roll?" Link said, leaning over the sofa, watching the call.

"Roll is my sister."

"Sister? I thought you said you were built. How could you have a sister?"

"Roll and I were built at nearly the same time. Technically, you are correct, I can't have a real sister, it's just a colloquialism."

"Is she a robot too?"

"Yes, though not as advanced as I since I've been continually improved since my inception." Although, maybe not anymore, Mega Man thought. What did Cossack mean by upgrades?

Nonetheless, Mega Man needed to contact Dr. Light, and it would be quicker if he could get him on the phone rather than teleport there, especially with the risk of leaving Link here alone. He reset the calling program and dialed the number for Mercy Hospital. Upon reaching the robot interface he requested to speak to Dr. Light, and was immediately patched into his vidcom.

"Hello?" he said. His face brightened once he saw Mega Man's helmeted visage. "Rock! It's you! You're all right. Where have you been? What happened?" Dr. Light animatedly queried while he struggled to rise up in his bed. The bandages around his torso and leg held in traction kept him from jumping out of his bed in excitement.

"Easy, easy, Dr. Light. Don't strain yourself. I'll tell you everything that's happened." Mega Man regaled his tale in an abbreviated format, starting from his transference through the teleporter full circle to his return home through the same means. He explained Hyrule as a parallel dimension in a semblance of the medieval era, and chose to leave out some important but extraneous elements such as magic, and the Triforce, instead replacing it with "My arm cannon sustained some damage during my time there, and it currently can't function."

"Oh, I see. Well, I'm certainly not able to repair it now. There is a spare arm cannon in the laboratory though. It has no charge function though, I just kept it for emergencies. You have permission to install it yourself. I'm sure you know how."

"Yes, doctor."

Link thought it was odd that Mega Man would have to ask permission to gain his weapon back, or rather, to install it himself, but wrote it off as a cultural difference. He had been creeping closer to the TV screen as Mega Man told him the history of their adventures, becoming less and less bewildered by the device.

"How interesting," Dr. Light said. "I never had time to test out the configuration on the reconstitution program before this all happened. I-?" Dr. Light stopped and reacted silently as Link's gigantic face slowly slid onto the screen, the lens making his nose seem twice its size.

"And this..." Mega Man gestured to Link to come over to the couch and face the monitor. Link slowly did so and leaned into the screen, gaping at it with a glazed look, mouth hanging open. "This is Link."

Dr. Light's eyes went wide at the site of this boy with pointy ears staring dumbly into the monitor, dressed in forest green. "Mega Man, what did I tell you about bringing strange people home with you?" Dr. Light chided with a wide smile.

Link reached out with a finger and poked the screen. The liquid crystal display rippled at the touch. Link immediately jerked his hand back. "What is this? Some sort of... ice?"

"No, it's just a screen. A communicator. This is Dr. Light, my creator."

Link cocked his head to the side. "Hello?" he said.

"Hello to you. My, you are from the medieval era, aren't you. Rock, how did he get here?"

"It was an accident. And unfortunately, the transporter has been rendered inoperable."

"Yes, Roll told me."

Link again tried poking the monitor and looking behind it. "Is he somewhere else?"

Mega Man took hold of his finger and put it down, "Careful, you could damage the screen." He turned back to Dr. Light. "What about your injuries?"

"Oh, nothing serious. A twisted femur, and some busted ribs, that's about the long and short of it. I should be back in action in a few days." He added an enthusiastic punch in the air.

"I'm happy. What about Dr. Wily?"

"We haven't heard anything about him since he destroyed the house. Roll told me all the repairs have been made. And those robot masters haven't reared their ugly heads either." Mega Man nodded in acknowledgement. "This is interesting though. He didn't come to attack us, or kill us. Roll found out he took my vase."

"Your vase?"

"Yes, the gray vase that was in my bedroom, under the painting."

"I remember it," he replied, drawing from his image memory.

"Apparently, Roll discovered some sort of binary code in the markings, but she wasn't able to decipher it before she went out."

"Went out? Where did she go?" Dr. Light had already answered Mega Man's last question.

The bed-ridden doctor sighed. "We were trapped in the basement and, against my better wishes, I had to upgrade her battle capability. She's no longer just a housekeeping robot."

"Really?" Mega Man's eyes went wide, not sure how to feel.

"Unfortunately, after she was finished researching the vase, she got it into her head that she could go off to find Wily. I assume that's where she is."

"And you let her do this?"

"I... it's complicated."

"But how would she do that? Does she know where he's holing up?"

"I presume that she had at least some inkling. All she asked me for was permission to go after him, I wasn't aware that she actually found him. We need the knowledge of his robot masters to triangulate his coordinates. Maybe she found another way. Have you tried making contact with her?"

"Yes, but I haven't been successful."

"Oh, dear. Rock, you must find her. That's our main concern."

"Agreed." Mega Man would have made that a priority anyway.

"There must be something around there that would indicate where she went. Try searching through some log files, or recently used programs. She wouldn't have just gone off on a brute-force search."

"All right, thank you doctor."

"And take care of our guest there."

"I will. Goodbye."

"Do your best, Rock."

The image of Dr. Light blinked away to the message 'call terminated'. Mega Man closed the program and started searching through the recently used files of the computer. Link watched with genuine interest as he brought up a world map gleaned from the Hypernet's global scanner database. Roll had apparently accessed this at some point to search for Wily's skull castle, but there was no evidence as to where it would be. In order to find it, Mega Man was going to have to think like Roll. Even though they had started out with the same A.I., they had both evolved with distinctly different personalities through their experiences. He wasn't advanced enough for this kind of creative detective work. Trying to guess what Roll would have looked for was like looking for a needle in a haystack. There were a thousand random instructions that could have been streaming through her head, trying to think of where Wily was. Where would she have started from?

Suddenly, light came streaming into the room and right into his eyes. Distracted and squinting in the light, the android looked up to see Link standing next to the drape control panel, closing back the curtains. Link pressed the switch again and the curtains opened, and closed, opened, and closed.

"Link, will you cut that out please?"

"You need a switch to close the drapes? Isn't it kind of lazy?"

"It controls the curtains for the entire house, so you can open them from anywhere in the house. Please stop playing with it."

Link shut back the curtains. Mega Man brought him to this strange version of the world that was set up like an amusement fair, and he wasn't letting him have any fun.

The robot turned back to his work as the last irritating photons faded from his eyes, blocked by the curtains.

Hmm.

For some reason, that thought gave Mega Man some inspiration. He typed some commands into the world map and did a search for concentrations of tachyon fields.

Link, having his fun quashed, came over to sit by Mega Man. "What's that?"

"A map of the world, and currently searching for tachyon shields."

Link had no idea what the outlines of the oceans and continents were. It just looked like abstract art. All his maps were color illustrated and hand drawn. "What are those?" he asked, referring to tachyons.

"Particles which disrupt energy transportation. If a body teleports into a high concentration of tachyons, the reassembly will wind up scrambled and disrupted."

"Oh... what does that mean?"

"It blocks teleports in. If someone teleported into tachyons they'd be reassembled completely wrong, effectively destroying whatever was teleported." Like himself, Mega Man thought.

Link nodded. He thought tachyons were some sort of monster. It sure sounded like one.

The search reached 100 completion, lighting up levels of the globe with high dilutions.

"So why are you looking for that?" Link asked.

"Lots of buildings have tachyon fields around their perimeters. It prevents unwanted things from teleporting in and surprising them. Like Wily's robots. But only key points around the world have them, like important factories or government buildings."

"So... what, Roll has the ability to teleport?"

"Yes, as do I. Most robots do."

"Wait, so you could have teleported away at any time?"

"Not in Hyrule. There needs to be a teleport pylon within a certain radius for me to land there. You can find them most anywhere in this world, but there are obviously none in Hyrule."

"Ah." Link was beginning to learn there were a lot of neat abilities Mega Man had that he hadn't used in Hyrule. That was okay, Link hadn't shown him his whole bag of tricks yet either.

Mega Man scrolled around the map, investigating each concentration of tachyon surges, noting each one as either a known building or otherwise legally sanctioned tachyon field.

"So if you find the right tachyon field, you'll find this guy, Wily."

"Yes, I need to find one that seems extraneous to the others, or isn't otherwise legally sanctioned. If he was already in a legally sanctioned one, the newslinks would be headlining that and his cover would be blown, so I'm suspecting he's somewhere isolated."

"What if he's not using a tachyon field? It sounds like it would just garner suspicion if it wasn't... legally sanctioned."

Hmm, Link had a point there. He just assumed Wily would have a tachyon field up to prevent him from directly teleporting in to the central command, like he always did. It was the reason he had to land some distance away from an overtaken structure and fight his way inside. Instead of searching for tachyons, maybe it would be better to search for buildings that didn't have tachyons that should have. He put in the query string and a blue circle lit up in the Antarctic continent. It was quite the ranged area, but it said that there was a shortage of tachyons in that area. There should not have been, given that the Antarctic research base was the only structure down there worth having one. It was unusual enough to send a scout down there to check.

"There?" Link asked.

"Yep, the Antarctic. Very cold region." Mega Man brought up the house computer and activated one of the Beats in the garage/hangar bay at the other end of the property. Link watched as a picture of a fat blue bird shaped like an egg came up. The robot pressed some buttons on a panel in front of him and activated the teleport on the machine.

"What's that thing?"

"Beat. It's a bird robot Dr. Light built for many purposes, capable of carrying large loads. Right now, I'm going to use him for... scouting."

Mega Man punctuated his last word by punching up the camera on the freshly teleported Beat robot. The in-window camera provided a nearly pitch-black frozen wasteland with heavy snow. The only light was from the hi-res photon spotlight Beat was sweeping back and forth on the ice shelf.

"How long could this take?"

"Not long. It's not just the visual, it's also got sonic, infra-red, electrochemical, bistatic, and other analyzers that go much farther. Hopefully, we'll be able to spot her if she's down there."

The Beat bird spent half an hour sweeping back and forth the arctic wasteland hypnotically. Link only had the patience for it because he was used to making long journeys back and forth in unexciting landscapes. Though he had never seen snow on this level. He couldn't imagine anyone but the heartiest types of races inhabiting it, and probably living beneath the surface where it was warmer.

If they were searching by eyes alone they never would have found Roll, but Mega Man was busy keeping watch on all the sensors the bird had to offer. Every square mile was thoroughly scanned for signs of the lost robot. Mega Man was not lying when he assured Link if she was down there, they'd find her.

Link nearly jumped to the ceiling when he saw a red light in the darkness. It quickly passed from one side of the window to the corner almost instantaneously.

"That! What was that? I saw a red light."

Mega Man answered without inflection, "Yes, a flight beacon. We're coming close to the airstrip."

"Air strip?" Link was picturing a strip of paper in the air.

"It's a landing area for aircraft, which are machines which carry passengers through the air. Some of them need a long strip of land to take off and land on."

"Interesting. Maybe she got there in an airplane."

"No, she teleported. Otherwise, I would have found some means of transportation she arranged. We're programmed to take the shortest route, the path of least resistance."

Mega Man thought the research base would have been a likely headquarters for Wily, and a likely destination for Roll. To confirm his suspicions, the computer suddenly beeped an alarm, waking them out of their hypnotic stupor. Mega Man pulled up the offending program and saw a red flashing blip in the 3-D sonar.

"Is that her?" Link asked.

Mega Man typed in some more commands, bringing Beat close to the zone where the alarm had gone off. Link paid close attention to the visual as it was brought down to the ground, but there was nothing but snow.

"I don't see her."

Mega Man switched the unaltered visual feed to x-ray. The colors changed from black and gray to brightly fluorescent yellow, pink, and blue. In that acidic mish-mash of colors there was an white outline of a body lying down.

"Is that her?" Link said.

"She must be buried in the snow." Mega Man commanded Beat to bring out his heat ray, set to the lowest intensity, just enough to melt the snow without melting Roll. In the camera, a small muzzle extended out from the bottom and swept a red ray over the area in front of it. The layer of snow on her wasn't very high, the blizzard must have just started, and she was unsheathed in no time.

"She must be unconscious," Link said.

"Or inactivated. But I think she's still alive." Even though Mega Man had no evidence for that, she wasn't destroyed so that meant she could be brought back, though he hadn't the foggiest why she was immobile.

"She should be all right, but she needs to be brought back here." Mega Man commanded Beat to pick her up. The camera showed the region in view getting closer to Roll, hovering over her. Off-screen, Beat's feet latched onto Roll's shoulders and lifted off. With no effort, it flew off, a little more encumbered, but not impeded by the extra weight.

"Can't you teleport her out of there?" Link asked.

"I can't get in touch with her to activate her teleport by remote. We'll just have to transfer her somewhere safe." Mega Man set a course for an island off of South America. Beat would be able to make the trip with no problem.

Suddenly, a flash of dull red caught Link's eye as he looked at the camera feed, still set to X-ray. "What's that?" Link pointed out a squat body standing on the ground, holding up his arm.

The body silently shot something bright, like one of Mega Man's plasma blasts, that grew larger in the camera window. "Uh-oh."

The shot met the camera and the feed soundlessly changed to pitch black. If he could have, Mega Man would have gulped in worry.

**Next Chapter: Getting There is Half the Fun**


	4. Chapter 36: Getting There is Half the Fu

_Chapter 36: Getting There is Half the Fun_

Mega Man continually tried to access Beat, but received no response. Each unpleasant buzz indicating the inability to make a connection raised Mega Man's alarm levels.

Fervently, he typed commands into the computer. "We need to get to Antarctica now!" Link was a bit taken aback by his intensity, but kept quiet. The outline of the frozen continent in the world projection faded from blue to red. Somehow, a tachyon field had just been erected, preventing Mega Man from automatically teleporting there and saving the day. And the robot knew just who to blame.

He pounded his fist lightly on the table. "And Wily just brought up a tachyon field. Fantastic." He hit some more buttons and the screen went black. "I'm going to have to do this the hard way." He stood up and started to run off into the hallway.

"Wait, where are you going?" Link said, trailing along.

"I have to get my arm cannon. Then I'm going down there and getting Roll."

"Hold on. I'm coming with you."

"No, you can't. Wily's robots undoubtedly know about her location, now that one's spotted her. Time is of the essence. I can't have a human slowing me down. I'm sorry."

Link was perturbed now. "If you think I'm going to let you go off on some adventure without me, you're sadly mistaken. Especially in this world. I'm going with you whether you like it or not."

"You would be placed in too great a danger."

"Danger? You're talking to me about danger?" Mega Man hit the control for the elevator and they dropped down to the lab.

"These aren't the kind of enemies you're used to. They're robots, like me. They won't yield to a simple sword. They're made of metal, not magic."

"If you're talking about that thing in the basement, that was just cause it caught me by surprise. I have more skills than just swinging a sword around. At least it would be useful to have another set of eyes around. Besides, you're the one responsible for bringing me here. You have to take me along."

Mega Man did not follow Link's logic of responsibility. "You're the one who jumped through the portal."

"I didn't have a choice."

"Nonetheless, I didn't bring you here."

"Look, don't you think you owe me more then making me sit here in your house with nothing to do, when there's a great big world out there I could explore. When it came to going out in Hyrule, I asked you to come along. Don't you think you should do the same for me?"

"That was because I had special skills to offer you. Sorry to say, there's not much here you can do."

"Well, you'll never know that until we see, won't we? I've got plenty. I've got the hookshot, a magic boomerang, fire and ice rods."

"I told you, there is no magic in this world. Those devices won't work here."

This was really frustrating Link. The doors opened and Mega Man exited. Link, racking his brain to try and convince him to be brought along, followed at his feet. "If you don't bring me along, then I'm going to go out and explore on my own." Mega Man looked back at him with a questioning look. "You know I will. There's nothing I love more than exploring. And what better place could there be to do that but here, in a world I've never seen before?"

Mega Man pondered this. He could lock him in the house, using the security measures. That would keep him from getting in trouble. On the other hand, leaving him here could be perilous. They were plenty of ways for a stranger in a strange land to get hurt even on the simplest tools. The first law stated that he couldn't allow a human to come to harm through action or inaction. Maybe it would be better to bring him along where he could keep an eye on him.

"Very well, but you must stay close to me at all times and follow my instructions."

"No problem," Link ceded. He didn't know the territory well, so a guide would be nice. Mega Man started off towards the elevator. "So how long is it going to take to get there?"

"Near instantaneous. Configuring the coordinates will merely take a few minutes."

"We're teleporting? But I thought you just said Wily put up a tacky-yon thing."

"We're going to have to teleport just outside the field and run there." Like he had done so many times before. "I know where Roll's exact location is. Getting there will just be the problem."

"That seems kind of inefficient."

Mega Man turned around and glared at him, stopping Link in his tracks. "You have a better way?"

"Well, don't you have any waterways?"

"No. Antarctica is a frozen desert."

"If only this was the Dark World, I could call on the magical rooster."

"What?"

"Just forget it. What about vehicles? Can't you just transport to a vehicle? That might be faster."

Mega Man pondered this. He had already considered taking Rush, but the dog wouldn't have enough power to make it even a quarter of the distance. But if he could get to another base and grab a transport scout, or some similar vehicle, and zoom to Roll's coordinates... He did some quick calculations and figured there would be a chance of being faster, especially with Link coming along. The 'X' factor was in being able to get a vehicle there.

It was worth a try though. Mega Man took him to a room with a large panel set on a desk and turned it on. From behind, Link watched him access the portal to the Computer. Several words appeared on the screen and an avatar's face came on, different than the one he'd seen before.

"McMurdo Base, Reno speaking."

"This is Mega Man."

"Oh! Yes, what can I do for you?"

"I need a two-person transport vehicle sent to twenty-three degrees forty-three minutes south, eleven degrees three minutes west. Do you have anything available?"

"Well... lemme see." The man in the screen looked down at a clipboard and then some other documents around him. "I think you're in luck. We have an exploratory crew a couple kilometers from that location. All robots. They took a metonicle RJ down there. No battle armaments, just transportation."

"That's fine."

"I can have it sent to that location by remote if you want?"

"Yes, please do so. I'm in a hurry."

"Is it Dr. Wily?"

"Possibly." Mega Man secretly thought, _when isn't it?_ "I'm going to be teleporting to that location shortly.

"Okay, we'll have it sent at top-speed. Our robos can wait a little while."

"Thank you. Mega Man out." The screen blanked-out.

Link smirked. "Wait, so there's a crew out there? And they're just leaving them there?"

Mega Man stood up and walked away, Link following. "They're robots. They're built to withstand the cold, and they only do what they're ordered to. If they're ordered to wait, they wait."

The Hylian was surprised when they ended up back in the lab. He expected to come out in some kind of stable for transportation to Antarctica. Then he remembered the deal with the arm cannon.

Mega Man spent a moment looking through supplies and closets for his arm cannon. "Aha," he exclaimed upon its discovery. He took out the blue cylindrical device and examined it. It was a mark one blaster, about half as powerful as his current one, with no charge option and a version 1.0 weapon copy feature. Dr. Light probably kept it just for emergencies. He took the weapon to an operating table and set it down, picking out some tools from the drawer underneath.

"Does... um... does it take a long time to put on?" Link asked, glancing nervously from the table to his hands.

"No. I just need to sever the connections and reconnect this new one."

Mega Man internally severed network ties to his peripheral as he swept the tools needed over his arm to disconnect it from his hardware. With a yank he pulled off the device and set it aside.

"Yikes," Link uttered on seeing his forearm detach, "You can just remove it like that?" It was like chopping off his arm and putting it back on.

"Yes," Mega Man responded.

"Doesn't that hurt?"

"I don't feel pain in the conventional sense. I can sense there has been something removed from my body. But there's no 'alarm system' like there is in humans because it was done deliberately."

"So it doesn't hurt."

"Not really." Mega Man picked up the new cannon and hooked it into his stubbed elbow.

"I have a question," Link said, as if he hadn't needed permission for all the others he'd posed. "Why did you need to ask Dr. Light for permission to put this on?"

While he reconnected and configured the plug-and-play arm cannon, he said, "Just like I can't self-terminate, I also can't self-upgrade. It's another restriction put on robots. If robots could improve themselves, they could take it too far and become vastly dangerous. Today's A.I. doesn't have the ability to think creatively like that, but it's more precautionary. Besides, this is really more of a downgrade."

Link contemplated the meaning of this, thinking back to his comment some time ago about slavery. If robots couldn't improve themselves, they could never evolve to how they wanted. It was a way of the programmers to keep their control over them.

The hardware connections fitted, and Mega Man performed a quick diagnostic on the blaster. 'Downgrade' was an understatement. It would take some time to get used to having this lesser-developed weapon instead of his Mega Buster.

"All right. Now we have to get you prepared. Let's see." Mega Man rummaged through drawers and cabinets until he found what he was looking for. "Aha. This should do it." He held up an rectangular black box with a waist-strap around it.

"Here, you'll want to put this on."

"What is it?"

"A thermal shield. It'll protect you against the cold."

"Really? I've been in the ice palace. It's pretty cold there."

"Antarctica is located on the bottom of the world. The average temperature currently is negative ten to negative thirty degrees Celsius."

"...Is that cold?"

"With wind speed, it could freeze you in a matter of minutes."

"Ah-huh. Maybe I will wear this."

"Don't turn it on until we get there. I'm not sure of what its battery life is."

"Battery life?"

"How long it will last."

"Uh, this thing won't conk out on me right in the middle of a fight will it."

"It's not a shield in the conventional sense, like that." He pointed to the scarred metal on Link's back. "It just projects a globular energy bubble that encapsulates warm air and recirculates it."

"Okay," Link nodded and smiled.

"We're set. Let's get to the teleporter."

Mega Man led Link down some halls and down one level further to the large room set up for teleportation. There were two great big cylinders surrounding a large pad in the middle.

Link whistled in awe. "This is pretty snazzy. You must use this all the time. It would be pretty handy if you could teleport anywhere in the land with no restrictions."

"Actually, only advanced robots and machines have the ability to self-teleport anywhere," Mega Man replied as he sat next to a console, turning on the power and reconfiguring the system. "They're the only ones who can handle the circuitry and power requirements to do so. Everyone else uses a machine like this. But only the wealthy can afford a personal one. There are public ones available."

"I see. So... everyone has to use a teleporter if they want to get somewhere."

"They don't have to. Actually, very few humans use teleportation because of their distrust of the complexity involved and the way it makes them feel afterward. There are plenty of transportational vehicles, both public and private, and they're much cheaper."

"The way it makes them feel?"

"They often get sick to their stomach."

"Oh, I'm no stranger to teleporting," he replied boldly. It's not like he didn't get nauseous a few times flying over the golden realm only holding onto a bird's foot. But he had frequently shifted in and out of the Dark World and the Light World in his quests. He had felt no sensations during that, just the sight of the world around him shifting. "Well, then what do you use it for?"

"Cargo, usually. This one, actually we use more for waste disposal."

"Ah... that would explain the smell."

Mega Man punched some last buttons into the console and stood up. "We should be set up now. I'm gonna hate to see our electric bill though."

"What?"

"Nothing. Can you stand on the pad there?"

"No problem." Link stepped onto the crystal platform between the intimidating power transfunctioners. "Should I turn on my shield yet?"

"Not yet." Mega Man continued at the terminal then stood up and stepped onto the platform next to Link. "Many humans report having feelings of anxiety during their first teleportation."

"Oh, please. It's not like I've never teleported before. When I was-"

Link ceased to speak because the cells holding his vocal chords were no longer cohesive. He felt like his brain was crammed into a can. An intense feeling of claustrophobia ran through his cold blood. Thoughts were no longer processing, just pure blind primitive emotion. He wasn't sure whether his eyes were open or not, but he could see amazing colors and pictures rushing towards him.

All of this was over in an instant. The teleportation replaced the gray metal chamber with a land of white and sky of black. The air was crisp and cold. Snowflakes fluttered around him.

Mega Man looked around at his location. "Hmm, this looks right. Our coordinates match our surroundings. There should be a minimum margin of error. How'd it go?" Mega Man tapped his friend on the shoulder.

Link turned around and threw up.

Mega Man casually stepped back from the fountaining stomach contents so as not to mess himself and give Link personal space. The warm vomit ate threw the ground layer of packed snow like acid and warm, pungent steam rose.

When he was finished, Link wiped his mouth and looked up. "Urrgh... that wasn't fun..." he panted.

"I've never seen teleporting sickness that severe before."

"Neither have I," he said as he spit into the snow and held his cramping stomach.

"Our vehicle should be here shortly."

"Goody." He stood back up and a crisp wind hit him. "Ah, jeez, it is cold." He stepped away from his newly produced pile and looked at the snow encrusting his boots as he walked forward, looking around the new area. The darkened sky looked like they were in a very small area that expanded endlessly.

"You can turn on your shield now."

"How do I do that?"

"Press the button on the square box."

Link pressed the button on the square buckle. A bubble rapidly expanded outward and enveloped him head to toe. Link darted his head around looking at it. The temperature gradually returned to comfortable as the cold air was warmed up. Looking at the belt, the display read 70, which was probably some measure of the temperature. The hero pushed his fingers outside the sphere, discovering that the warming only resided in the boundaries of the clear globe. Now this really was an ingenious device. If you could regulate the temperature of your environment in a shield, you could go anywhere. You could dive into a volcano.

"This is fantastic," he said as he moved around. The bubble moved with him like a hamster ball. He looked out into the nearly black landscape. "Look at all the snow. It goes on forever."

"Our ride's here."

Link stopped jumping into the fluffy powder and looked up. A light in the distance was rushing towards them. The light grew bigger, until Link could see it was some sort of big rounded metal bird coming towards him. A rushing of wind accompanied the elongated, but spherical aircraft as it fired its retro rockets to come down to a safe landing in front of them.

"Whoa," Link said. "Is that it?"

"It is," he said as he approached the vessel. Tapping on the panel next to the door he opened the door. "Come on in.".

Link looked around and entered the tiny room. Making a mobile room was pretty amazing, he thought as he stepped onto the carpet. Two seats connected to the ground in front of the front window. Link took the one not occupied by Mega Man and gazed at all the read-outs and controls on the panel in front of him. Everything was written in a strange language.

Mega Man shut the entrance door and locked it. "An RJ-202 metonicle," he mused to himself. He hit some more buttons. "Do you see that strap behind the chair?"

Link looked behind him. Two black leather straps connected in a V to a metal tab hung over the back of the chair. "Yes."

"Pull it over your head and connect it to the buckle under your seat."

Link felt under the chair for a 'buckle' and pulled up a similar strap with a flat metal cube with a slot. He connected the two at his chest and realized the straps were meant to keep him secure in the chair, but still fairly free to move about. "What's this for?" he asked for clarity.

"A securing device. We'll be moving at a high velocity so this will keep you from flying about."

"Oh," Link replied with tremors in his voice.

"Better hold on." Mega Man said as he pulled out the control stick. Link could feel himself sinking back in his seat and gravity trying to pull him downward. The front window changed from half ground to full night sky, with snow falling directly onto them. He no longer felt the sensation of solid ground beneath him.

"Uhhh..." Link found the best thing to hold onto was the armrests, so he gripped those with his fingers. "Where did the ground go?"

"Ready ... Launch!"

Link wasn't sure what happened immediately after Mega Man said that word. At one point he was in the tiny room, and then the chair was sucking him in. It felt like all his organs were being pressed into his back in a powerful invisible wind he couldn't feel.

Slowly, adjusting to the pressure, he opened his eyes that felt like they were going roll backwards. The window in the front showed the landscape below rushing behind him. "Wwwwwwhhhhhaaaaaatttttt..."

"Hang on. We might hit some turbulence."

"Mmmmmmmmgggggaaaaa..." Link mumbled, trying to open his mouth amid the gravity forced on it. The ground was getting hazier and hazier, more and more distant. The vehicle began to vibrate fiercely.

"Too much pressure," Mega Man explained. "This craft was meant for ground-level excursions."

"Sssssstttttoooopppp..." Link could feel his heart about to rip out of his chest. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Can't stop. We're taking a triangular approach. Much faster than cruising along the surface. I just hope this thing can take it. We're almost at the apex though."

"Rrrrrrrrggggggg..." The front window's display started to change from misted over sky to darker blue. As the pressure on his body began to lift, he took gasping amounts of air. "Wha-... what was that..." he struggled. "Where-"

"Oh, you might be feeling some after-effects of the g-forces. Looks like we went a little under mach-one."

"Mock-one? That was... so fast."

"Changing pitch and yaw to 321 mark 34. And... set."

The hovercraft tilted downward, until it felt like he was going to be poured out of the craft, crashing through the front window. The entire window showed white, lit by the lights on their vehicle.

"What... what's going on?"

Mega Man pushed the control stick downward and the craft dropped like a rock. Link felt his stomach lurch into his throat. If that strap wasn't keeping him in, he would have hit the ceiling. It seemed like he was floating above his seat.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAR!" Link screamed.

Mega Man swept the control stick down and the craft swooped above the landscape just before it hit. He decelerated the craft so they were able to scan the land before them at a slower pace.

Link held his hand up to his chest, feeling it pounding. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and rubbed his aching, cramped stomach.

"I'm sorry I had to do that without preparation, but we didn't have the time. I didn't realize you weren't used to such high speeds. We should be reaching Roll's last known coordinates soon."

Link's eyes traveled up and down with the rushing snowscape below. "Uh... uh-huh... whatever."

Suddenly, an alarm in the craft sounded. "Now what?" Link asked.

"We're being fired on."

"What!"

"We're being fired on. A ground turret. Wily must have armaments deployed already. Hidden in the snow." He gripped tighter onto the control stick. "Hang on to something."

The craft suddenly dipped sharply to Link's side. The gravity shifted to the side door as Link resisted falling through it. The landscape filled up the window he was pressed against. "AAAAAHHHH!" he screamed. He tried to force himself up to the chair to avoid touching the window for fear he would break it and fall out.

Laser blasts fired up in the front and side windows. Mega Man gritted his teeth as he pulled the craft out of a spin, narrowly dodging an energy blast that went right across the ship's nose.

"Can't keep this up forever," he muttered as Link continued screaming in terror. He'd have thought with a zippy craft like this it would have better evasive maneuvers, but it had been flying a long time. Its parts were not meant for this sort of high-speed endurance.

As if in omen to his thoughts, a plasma burst neatly cut vertically up through the turbine pipe at the back of the craft. The robot watched with trepidation as the engine output levels began steadily dropping. Smoke billowing out the back of the craft started to fill up the windshield.

"Hang on," Mega Man shouted above the craft's violent vibration.

"What do you think I'm doing?"

The direction of the winds caught the little vehicle in a spin, rotating it around like a helicopter as it sharply lost altitude, plummeting at increasing speed. Mega Man hit the retro rockets as the craft dipped lower to the ground. The vehicle bounced once from the reverse in inertia, but it was only temporary, Mega Man knew. They were going to crash.

"AAAAAAAH!" Link continued.

Mega Man did everything he could to soften the blow. The plasma blasts flying at them stopped as they reached critical altitude. "Hang on!" Mega Man repeated as he braced himself for the blow. Link shut his eyes in terror.

The spinning craft made impact with the snow. The two passengers' seat belts kept them in their seats as they recoiled up and down. Link kept springing back and forth, hitting the secure armrests of the chair, bruising his sides. The world spun quickly in the front window like an amusement ride. The snow and centrifugal force did all they could to soften the crash. Mega Man thanked his lucky stars that the craft didn't explode.

Eventually the motion of the craft slowed down and rotated to a final swing, hissing as it rested, jerking the two back slightly from the forward inertia.

"Oooh," Link groaned. "I don't feel so good."

Mega Man did a check on himself and found nothing had been injured. A quick visual check on Link said the same about him.

"What a ride that was," Link continued.

"You can unbuckle your seatbelt now. We've landed."

"No kidding." Link fiddled around with the buckle for a moment, trying to pull apart the straps when he hit the button on the metal square, freeing him. "Ow, that smarts."

"You okay?" Mega Man asked.

"I feel like someone just put my body through a laundry."

"We should get out of here," Mega Man said as he dug under his seat. "Might be robots coming for us soon. And this vehicle might explode."

"You won't hear any complaints from me."

Wily's guard robots would have undoubtedly seen their crash, but maybe not know the landing site exactly, depending on where they and their radars were. If luck was on their side, they'd be able to find Roll and get out quickly.

The door automatically opened for Mega Man, hinging outward like a latch and jumped out into the snow. Link, still unaffected due to his thermal shield, jumped down behind him. Black smoke was puffing out from the back of the craft. No doubt it would be seen by attackers fairly soon.

"All right, now we've got to find your sister," Link said.

"Right. She should be near this location."

They trotted off into the snowy landscape in a spiral pattern, their eyes moving back and forth. The emergency floodlight from their craft eventually faded out and soon Link and Mega Man were walking in near pitch black, if not for the full moon and wide canopy of stars. Mega Man would, of course, pick-up Roll's presence before Link because of his attuned sensors.

Link, however, was doing a better job at keeping up with Mega Man's run than he thought. All that training in the fields of Hyrule must have had an effect on him. He followed diligently, trudging through the swampy snow. It was like running in cold sand, but easier. That didn't stop Link from wishing he had his pegasus boots on. Too much of this would be murder on his calves after long.

Mega Man's electrical light refraction vision picked up a body's outline in the snow. "I see Roll," Mega Man said and started heading off into a westerly direction. Link looked left and right as they ran but spotted nothing but blackness. Fortunately, it looked like their attackers hadn't found them yet.

Mega Man suddenly skidded to a stop and bent down into the snow. He dusted off the form of a body in the snow and lifted her up. "Roll? Roll can you hear me?" He inspected her body for any signs of battle damage.

Mega Man hoisted Roll to his shoulder. Her blond ponytail swung back and forth like a pendulum with her stiff arms flung out like she was flying.

"How is she?" Link asked.

"Can't tell. I can't teleport her out of here. We need to get to some shelter so I can find out what's wrong."

Link dug into his bag and pulled out his lantern. "This'll do the trick." He ignited it.

Or he tried to. For some reason the rotten thing wouldn't start up. He had plenty of magic power, he drank a potion before they left for Kakariko village and hadn't used any magic since. The lantern's bulb remained gray and unlit. "Maybe I won't be doing the trick," he said tried a few more times. Maybe Mega Man was right, magic didn't exist here.

"Never mind that, let's get to the metonicle."

Link put back the lantern. "Did you say the research base was close by?"

"Yes, but-" Mega Man was about to say the craft was closer, but it was meant for three people and the thermal shield he'd given Link may not have that much battery life. Plus the fact that he had no idea if the craft could be repaired. The base may have been farther, but it would likely have the resources they needed. Plus the inhabiting humans would help them. "Actually, that's a good idea. Let's go."

No sooner did they say that then a plasma shot buried itself in the ground below Link's boots. He nearly fell back into the snow in surprise. Mega Man looked up to the hill to see three guard joes rushing toward them from a far hill.

**Next Chapter: Strategic Retreat**


	5. Chapter 37: Strategic Retreat

_Chapter 37: Strategic Retreat_

"Run!" Mega Man said as he struggled to move under the weight of his sister.

Link started to dash off, then looked in multiple directions. "Run where?" There was nothing but inky blackness as far as the eye could see.

"Follow me!" Mega Man started off down the snow valley, obviously encumbered by Roll's body on his shoulder. Link struggled to match pace but the snow kept him from reaching a full sprint. If only his fire rod worked he could have covered Mega Man while they dashed off.

Mega Man adjusted Roll to his other shoulder as he activated his arm cannon. He twisted his body and fired at the robots on the crest of the snow mound. They brought up their litanium shields and the plasma blasts flew off at reflected angles. Mega Man hated those things and kept pummeling them as hard as he could as they hid behind their protection.

Link nearly fell on his back as one of the assailants shots nearly got him in the foot. A melted scorch in the snow marked where he had nearly gotten scorched himself. Link took off his shield and held it at his side as he ran in a zig-zag in order to avoid the shots which could easily have taken off his leg.

Mega Man's constant bombardment finally paid off. One of the sniper joes dropped his shield in order to fire and caught a plasma blast in the side of his head. He staggered back as Mega Man fired three more shots at the unarmored foe, finishing him off. Its oblong shield tumbled down the hill, along with some of its appendages.

The remaining two continued their assault, oblivious their fallen comrade. Yellow energy rained down around Mega Man, mostly ignoring Link, except for when he got in the way. They must have thought a lone human was inconsequential. Just as Mega Man jumped to avoid the peltering, a shot hit him in the kneecap, causing Mega Man to skip a step, but he maintained his balance and speed. He fired back at the enemies, trading shots like water balloons. After they thought they would be running forever, their destination crept over the hill in the distance. Faded lit windows dotting the base became visible to the naked eye.

Suddenly, Mega Man took a shot square in the chest, causing him to fall back into the snow, enveloped by white light. Link instinctively jumped out in front on seeing his fallen friend, holding his shield outward.

"No, get back!" Mega Man said, knowing one of those plasma blasts would tear right through Link as it had the moblins. He grabbed Link's tunic and pulled him back behind him. "I just lost my balance," he said as he stood up himself.

"It's Roll. You need to put her down."

"I can't put her down. We need to get to the base."

"No, we need you to fight back. Give her to me. I can take her."

"No, she's too heavy."

"And you can't fight with her on your back. There's no time to argue. Give her to me."

Mega Man followed the second law with only a moment's hesitation and shifted Roll off his shoulder. Link felt an icy chill on the nape of his neck as her arm dragged across his skin. "It's not far. Just head for those windows. Don't look back."

"Yeah, yeah, I carried you, I can carry her. Get going." Link tugged himself out of his standing inertia and got moving, dragging Roll's feet in the snow. He grunted along, trying to get his doubly heavy load moving faster. Link realized he was going to have to do more weightlifting when he got back to Hyrule. Plasma shots began littering his path as the attackers noticed another robot was making an escape.

Mega Man wasn't about to let that happen though. Unfettered, he took off at a sprint up the hill, firing his arm cannon like a madman. This new threat distracted the two and they set their sights back on the blue robot coming at them ferociously.

Link dragged Roll at about half the speed Mega Man was making through the snow, but at least he wasn't getting fired at. He suppressed the itch to look behind him to see how Mega Man was doing, if he was surviving the battle between robots. The base was only yards away now. He gritted his teeth in determination and pushed his legs to the limit.

The doors automatically opened for him as he approached the lit entrance. Two gray doors with small windows blocked his passage further. As soon as the doors closed behind him, Link collapsed in exhaustion. Roll clanged to the metal ground next to him. Link's arms shaking with fatigue, he used his legs to push himself upright and lean against the doors into the complex. He peered into the small window and saw a hallway with doors on each side. No people though.

"Hello? Hello?" he shouted to anyone within earshot, which was no one. He knew this area wasn't going to be very secure for him and Roll if those robots started after him. The only object in this foyer was a box on the wall with a green lit pad next to it. Link examined the device, poking it, seeing if it could allow them a way in. Maybe it was some sort of key dispenser.

"Hello?" he said. "We need entrance. It's an emergency. Do you have a key?" His stimulus provided no response. "Anyone!" He shouted to the ceiling. "Open the door, please! Now! It's an emergency."

The hero withdrew his sword, "Oh, for cryin'..." He swiped the weapon against the doors in frustration and panic. "Let me in!" he shouted, contemplating putting a bomb in the door, but then there would be no way to close it. He jammed the blade in between the two doors and they slid apart automatically. Link looked aghast in amazement for a second. "Wow. That never works for me in my world."

Without wasting another moment, he resheathed the sword, picked up Roll, and half-dragged, half-carried her into the hallway. As he set her down he said, "Now how do I close them?"

Mega Man, running for his life, appeared in front of the doors, a little shot up, but none the worse for wear. The clear doors opened automatically for him and he pushed into where Link was standing. He pressed a black box on the wall similar to the one in the foyer. "Emergency door close. Code 417X9A."

"Compliance," a voice from above said. Link figured it was the Computer. It sure seemed to be everywhere there was a structure. And it always sounded different.

The thick gray metal doors shushed close and locked together.

"You all right?" Link asked.

"Not bad. I destroyed the robots, but there could be more on the way. I think this'll keep us safe though." Mega Man pressed the green pad with his hand and a holographic screen illuminated in front of Mega Man's eyes. Link, who was knelt on the floor beside Roll, keeping her head up, was taken aback at this display. It was some sort of half-formed screen, like a ghost.

"Security directory," Mega Man spoke. "Clearance four-nine-two-eight-five-eight-nine." The display changed and Mega Man inspected the data. "Enforce security lockdown 1A, code beta-zero-gamma-alpha-pi-theta. Engage."

"Security lockdown priority alpha engaged," the Computer said.

"We're good now. There's enough protection around that it'll take a large army to get in. We'll know about any attempts to penetrate the defenses." He knelt down to Roll and held up a hand to her cheek. It was frozen solid. Hopefully, the material of her skin wouldn't crack when she thawed. He flipped open a panel near his waist and pulled out a cord from inside his body. Turning up a parallel panel on his sister, he inserted the cord, connecting the two of them. "Okay, let's see what's wrong."

Mega Man stared off into space, doing whatever he was doing silently and unobtrusively. Link finally got a chance to really look at Roll as Mega Man worked. She was blond and had a youthful, bright appearance in her face, like a younger Zelda. She had deep, but blank green eyes staring up at the ceiling, encrusted with melting ice. Her lithe body was enveloped in a tight eccentrically colored purple and green suit, armored with what looked like chain-mail plates around her arms and legs, and a semblance of a helmet.

"You can turn off your thermal shield now," Mega Man commented. Link, who had nearly forgotten he was wearing one, looked to his belt and pushed the button he had hit before. The warm temperature around him dissipated, replaced with a bit colder, but tolerable air.

"What are you doing?" Link asked when Mega Man hadn't said anything for a while.

"I'm trying to figure out why she won't move. It looks like her battery froze. I'll have to start her back up again when she warms up."

Link thought for a second, then took off his thermal shield belt and handed it to Mega Man.

"Thanks, but that won't be necessary. Besides, you need it more, and the more heat it generates the less life-span it has." Link nodded and put it back on. He stared down at Roll's face, into her eyes, waiting for her to jump to life. Mega Man started steadily streaming some of his power into her battery, giving it some energy to start out with. Too much would have caused an overload and possibly a leak.

"Come on," Mega Man whispered. Roll's eyes remained steadily blank. Suddenly, Mega Man felt a spark of power jump to his cable, indicating that she wasn't totally gone. Link noticed a light coming back into her eyes.

"There we go," Mega Man said. He communicated to Roll over his cable connection. _Hey, sis, it's me. Don't get up, you're frozen solid. Just wait to get warm._ "She'll be okay," he told Link. "She just needs time to start up her systems again." Link figured the cord he connected to her had something to do with knowing she was awake. It must have been some sort of communication medium. "Can you find some humans and see if they'll help us? This could take awhile," Mega Man asked.

"Uh, there's no robots anywhere around here, are there?"

"No, no malevolent ones. I did a scan when I turned on the security grid. You're free to walk about the base. The command center should be on the second floor."

Link hoisted himself up and walked down the hallway, leaving Mega Man and Roll behind. Using his natural navigation instincts he turned left at the T-intersection and followed that down a ways, past meaningless doors, all of which were locked. It curved into some sort of operation room, where there were no humans, but plenty of signs of them, with discarded papers and coffee mugs spilt onto the floor. It looked there may have been a scuffle, or the people left in a hurry. He walked past the open room and into another with some offices, and past that into a laboratory. He hadn't found any stairs yet though, or any way to get to the second floor. "Where is this command center?" Link said to himself.

He heard a bleeping noise up above, causing him to stop in his tracks. "Hello?" he said. "Is someone there?" he said with paranoia.

"The command center is on level two in the northern quadrant."

"Is this the Computer?"

"Yes. This is a model JKL 4598-2, using a Decalins class operating system. Would you like to hear more details?"

"Uh, no, not really," Link said, figuring they were irrelevant and he wouldn't understand them anyway. The Computer must have been communicating with him telepathically since he saw no one making a voice. "Can you help me?" He tried to keep his answers as succinct as possible as not to anger it with inconsequential things.

"What would you like to know?"

"Where is the command center?"

"The command center is on level two in the northern quadrant."

"Where's that?"

Another bleep. "Would you like have me show you the way?"

"Yes, that'd be great."

The wall next to him started blinking in red arrows in a strip of black in the middle of the partition that ran all through the hall. "Please follow the red arrows to arrive at your destination."

"Thank you."

Link did as the Computer said, following the red arrows down the hallway, leading him into an area he had not seen before. The arrows stopped at a gray double door that was the width of a single. There was no doorknob Link could find, and he figured perhaps it would open automatically. He wound up bumping into it. "Open the door?" he asked politely. He pushed on the door. "Computer, can you please open this door?"

"Affirmative."

The door slid apart. If the Computer could open locked doors for him he was going to have to get one for his next adventure. Link poked his head into the tiny room with no way out. "Is this the command center?" he asked incredulously.

"This is an elevator."

"Oh," Link commented. An elevator, of course, he was familiar with those. He stepped in and turned around to face the doors, which closed after a second. He stood there. Nothing happened. Perhaps he needed to tell it what to do. "Take me to the command center, please."

The elevator whirred in response and he could feel himself being lifted upwards. Apparently, the Computer was all-knowledgeable, but needed to be told what to do to an annoying degree.

The elevator stopped whirring and opened its doors in a completely new area of the building. The same red arrows were waiting for him, chasing in the appropriate direction.

"Thank you," Link said again.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the primary hallway inside the door, on the cold ground. Mega Man continued waiting patiently for Roll's functions to complete processing. When she sent him a message over their connection he nearly jumped. _Rock?_

_Yes, Roll, I'm here._ It looked like her communication functions had completed primary start up. She could communicate on a rudimentary level.

_You're all right?_

_Yes, I'm fine._

_What happened? The last thing I remember was I was out in the snow looking for Wily's base._

_I think you froze your components. Parts of your programming stopped, then your motor functions, and then it had kind of a snowball effect, pardon the pun. You wouldn't have known you were freezing until it was too late. But there wasn't any permanent damage._

_What happened to you? _

_It's a long story._ Mega Man repeated what he had told Dr. Light earlier, changing some elements here and there, and ending it with their entrance into the research base.

_And he's here now?_ Roll asked. _You just sent him out there alone?_

_He'll be fine, trust me. I've seen him in battle. He's much more agile than you or I._

_Well, don't say that till you've seen me in action,_ she indicated with a hint of smirkiness.

_Ah, yes, your upgrades. So what did Dr. Light do for you?_

_Everything. My sensors are enhanced, my helmet gives me extra vision, and I have two laser pistols for my weapons. Dr. Light did a good job, working with what he had, which was essentially parts in the garage. The only thing he neglected was temperature control,_ she joked.

_I see. And you decided to try and find Wily on your own._

_I'm just as capable as you now, you can check the specs yourself. Don't take this one mistake as proof I'm inept. It's just a design oversight. You made plenty of mistakes over time._

_I didn't say that. I'm sure you are capable. But what you did was risky. Even I don't fight until I need to._

_I know, but I didn't know where you were. I thought you were dead or disappeared. I had no way to contact you. I didn't know if you were coming back._

Mega Man thought that was justified. When the most capable is absent, the next most capable takes over. _I understand. I would do the same thing. Did you find his fortress?_

_Not yet. Has he done anything yet?_

_Not that I know of. What about the vase Dr. Light mentioned?_

Roll communicated her information about Dr. Selkirk and the code on the vase to Mega Man. Roll was hoping her brother had something to contribute, but unfortunately, he had no conclusive evidence to fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle.

_Why in the world would Wily take a vase? _Mega Man wondered.

_That's what everybody's been asking._

_I think the key lies in the binary code. We should run it though some testing when we get back._

_Okay._

_Roll._

_Yeah?_

_I'm glad you're all right._

_Same to you, bro._

* * *

Link's helpful arrows led him to a big door in the center of the complex, just where he would expect a command center to be. "Open door, please," Link commanded as he set in front of it.

The door opened just a finger's width and buzzed. Link was starting to recognize that sound as something unpleasant happening. This time it appeared to be that the door couldn't open all the way. "Open the door all the way."

The door buzzed again. "This door is experiencing an error. Please contact a maintenance worker to have this fixed," the Computer said.

"Where can I find a maintenance worker?"

"Maintenance workers are available between the hours of 900 to 2000. In the event of an emergency, leave a message with the maintenance department and they will get in touch with you as soon as possible."

"I don't have time for that. I need it open right now. Please?"

"Maintenance workers are available between the hours of 900 to 2000. In the event of an emergency, leave a message with the maintenance department and they will get in touch with you as soon as possible."

"Yes, yes, but is there any way it can be open now?"

"This door is experiencing an error. Please contact a maintenance worker to have this fixed."

"What if I just open it like this?" gripped both sides of the door and pushed. The sliding mechanism gave way to his strength slowly. As soon as it opened to a body's width he wedged himself inside and pushed it all the way open. With an exasperated grunt he adjusted his tunic and turned inside the room.

The layout looked like the bridge of a ship. And there were humans here, but they were draped across the consoles, splayed out on the floor, lacerated and burned. Link put a hand to his mouth, never seeing this sort of horror before. They were all dead.

**Next Chapter: Waiting for Mega Man**


	6. Chapter 38: Waiting for Mega Man

_Chapter 38: Waiting for Mega Man_

After Link had come back to Mega Man to report his findings, i.e., the dead scientists, they went off to explore and inspect the research base for survivors or remnant robots. They found none. It appeared that the research base had been abandoned and Wily's robots killed the remaining humans when they invaded. It was probably an effort to avoid detection of his armament deployment. The three of them were the only living residents left. If Wily's robots knew they were there, they would come back in droves to get in.

Mega Man had gone off on his own to find a mode of transportation out from the base, to try and get to another sanctuary. He asked Link to watch over Roll as she completed her start-up. Her systems were mostly online now, and it was just a matter of her performing diagnostics and tests to make sure she was back to fighting form.

They sat at a table in an alcove of the cafeteria, overlooking a window at the edge of the base, so they could keep an eye on the outside. Link was peering out into the pitch-blackness with a vengeance, scanning back and forth for anything that wasn't black or white. A part of him was still determined to show Mega Man he could be useful in this world of super-enhanced beings. He could live up to his legacy of a legendary hero.

Snow was still falling down in torrents, obscuring their vision. Roll knew that Link wouldn't be able to see anything before the security scanners did.

"Here," she said as she handed him a mug of steaming black water. Link took the cup and looked into it. The smell was appetizing, to say the least.

"What does this do?"

"It's coffee. It has a chemical in it that keeps you alert and awake. Be careful, it's hot."

Link slowly tipped the potion up to his lips and immediately pulled it away when it burned to the touch. "Ow. It's hot."

"Wait for it to cool." Roll pulled the emergency blanket off her seat and sat back down in the chair, pulling the mantle back over her so she could warm up. They sat staring out the window for a few moments, each wondering where Mega Man was and if he was safe and if Wily knew of their presence here and there was an army of robots ready to invade and attack.

"So," Link said, watching steam rise from the cup. "How are your diagnostics going?"

Roll was performing her tests internally. "So far, so good. Nothing that can't be corrected. I'll need to get some minor repairs once we get back though."

Link stared down into his coffee potion. "So... you and Mega Man are siblings."

"Uh-huh."

"Are you older or younger than him?"

"We were activated at the same time. But according to our logs, his starts at 12:51.545335 and mine starts at 12:51.569395. So technically, he could be considered older."

"How old are you? I mean, how long have you been alive... or... sorry, I'm still not really clear on the whole robot thing."

"I understand. Mega Man and I have been operational for 17 years."

"Uh-huh, and you started off the way you look now. I mean, you didn't grow up like us."

"Right. Well, Rock wasn't always like you see him. We both look like normal humans without our armor on, before we got changed to fighting robots."

"Rock, I keep hearing that, what is Rock? Is that Mega Man?"

"Yes, Rock was his name before he was changed into Mega Man. Most of the world calls him Mega Man, but us who knew him before typically call him Rock."

"So Mega Man's world-renowned here?"

"Oh, yes, he's basically the most important character in the world right now, because of his heroics. He gets asked to many social functions, people try to get his influence on important topics and politics and such."

"Yeah, we were talking about that some in Hyrule. I've got sort of the same thing going in my land. It's hard to walk around without being treated like royalty. I hate being worshipped like a god."

"Well, in this case, Mega Man is a god."

"What?"

"Well, since he has superior abilities to humans, some see him as the messiah. There are some cults dedicated to worship of him. People send him gifts. At some points they've camped outside our house. But they're rather few and far between. And then there are some people on the other side of the spectrum who fear him, hate him. The world's rather confused about how to treat him." Roll looked away with anger. "Which is really a shame, because he's done so much for the world."

"They hate him? How could they hate him?"

"They hate him because they're afraid of him. They fear what he could do, since he's so powerful."

"But he's so similar to humans, I mean, except for the arm cannon and weird clothes. I didn't even know he was a robot until I saw his insides."

"They know the difference here. People are so used to seeing robots they can distinguish their mannerisms."

"Mega Man told me you work and live in harmony."

"For the most part, yes, but robots are subordinate to humans. They work for humans, because humans made them. But many fear they could take over, because humans built them with superior abilities to their own."

"Why would humans build something superior to themselves, if they were so afraid of it taking over?"

"Because of all the good they could do. Robots can do things humans can't because of their abilities, and that's what makes them so valuable. And so dangerous. That's why robots are programmed with the three laws."

"Three laws?"

"There are three laws of robotics which all robots are, by law, required to have in their programming, and organized in order of importance. The first is that a robot must not cause harm to a human, either by action or inaction. The second is that a robot must always obey a human's orders, except where that comes into conflict with law one. The third is that a robot must protect its own existence, so long as that does not come into conflict with laws one or two respectively."

Link pondered these statements for a moment. "Aren't these laws kind of vague? I can see lots of situations where those 'laws' could be conflicting."

"And there have been many. The laws are under constant scrutiny, and there's a whole constitution dedicated to clarifying when and where certain laws must be excepted and such. But the basic message is the same." Roll strategically neglected to mention her and her brother's own unknown exception to the laws. She was conflicted between telling her brother and letting his ignorance protect him.

"What if you programmed a robot to not follow laws?" Link asked.

"The government requires all robots of a certain level of artificial intelligence to be programmed with the three laws. And they're checked before they're made fully operational."

"What if you told a robot to tell a lie? What if a robot had to kill someone to prevent him from killing other innocent people?"

"There are many details about those questions that get rather complicated, but for the most part, programming sticks to the letter of the law. Robots have the ability to process the laws in a very sophisticated manner."

"It seems like a very slippery slope."

"It is. And it's not just humans. Many robots live in fear of being a situation that their laws would come into conflict with. It could completely undo their programming and they'd have to be destroyed. The country's very divided on how to treat them. But by now society is so dependent on robots for the quality of life they have, they couldn't get rid of them if they tried. Citizens would object."

"So humans live in constant fear of masters becoming the slaves."

"No. Not really. Because robots cannot exceed their programming by themselves. Anyone who works with robots, which is nearly everyone, are very comfortable working around them. They are intelligent tools to get the job done easier. And most humans treat them with respect. But as a general populace, the world regards them with a wary eye."

"So you just put a band-aid on it to make you sleep at night? That doesn't seem right."

Roll shrugged. "It's the best people can do."

"Well, hasn't it ever happened before? With a robot breaking the laws?"

"Many times. That's why Rock is so revered. He's the one that stopped robots from taking over."

Roll was speaking so objectively about her own kind. If Link had to make the same arguments, he would undoubtedly be biased towards defending Hylians, but he guessed Roll was so programmed that she could control herself to have no bias.

"So it has occurred?" Link asked.

"Over and over again. And always by one single man - Dr. Albert Wily. He was Dr. Light's partner. But he went insane." There were many details about the circumstances of Mega Man's origin Roll was leaving out, but for the interest of brevity and simplicity, it was necessary. "He programmed robots like Mega Man to annex key structures on the planet so he could take over the world, to make robots the dominant species. That's when Rock volunteered to be transformed into a fighting robot."

"Wait, Roc- Mega Man volunteered to be reprogrammed? I thought robots worked for humans. They had to do what humans tell them."

"They do, but they also emulate desires and feelings to a certain degree. It's hard to explain without giving you an advanced course in artificial intelligence. But Rock always had a strong sense of justice. That's why he wanted to be the one to stop Dr. Wily. When Dr. Wily started the first robot revolution, he took all the advanced robots he and Dr. Light had and reprogrammed them. Rock was the only one to resist that. I guess that made Dr. Light think he was special or something, and allowed him the opportunity to do something about it."

"So a human fixed robots so they would kill humans? That's rather ironic. Why? If humans think robots are servants?"

"Some also think robots are superior and deserve to be the dominant species on the planet, going so far as to sacrifice humans' own dominance. No one really knows why Wily does it. He's clinically insane."

"So to stop Dr. Wily, Mega Man was forced to kill those robots? His own kind? Doesn't he have any problems with that?"

"Not really," Roll said, "Robots don't have feelings of loyalty to a certain group, just because they belong to it. They are completely objective. But Rock believed robots and humans could live in harmony. And Dr. Wily was upsetting that, so Mega Man swore to stop him."

"So that's what he meant," Link thought, remembering the conversation they had in the temple where they found the lore of his legacy. "When he said he had to constantly be fighting. That Dr. Wily always comes back."

"He does always seem to come back. But Mega Man will keep fighting him until he's put away for good." Roll thought of a lie. "He can't kill him because of the laws. So Wily often manages to escape."

"If it was me, I would have destroyed him regardless of the laws."

Roll was forced to lie again. "He can't do that because of his programming. He can't do what he's not programmed to do." Roll was beginning to see this snowballing out of control. One lie on top of another. How long could she keep this up? Maybe if she kept saying it she could convince herself that her brother really was still under control of the three laws.

Link looked down into his nearly-cooled coffee. "And the laws keep him from hurting anyone? That seems kind of stupid."

"It's what the humans decided on." Secretly, she agreed. It was stupid that Mega Man would have to keep fighting Dr. Wily forever because he could never put that final stop to it. So Dr. Wily would always be protected behind his expendable robots. If it was her...

"It's like a rhino's bargain," Link said.

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh, that's a Hylian expression for an impossible situation."

"Yes, that's exactly what it is. But these are the exception to the rules. For the most part, humans and robots live together peacefully. It's only those few bad apples that spoil the whole bunch."

Link paused. "He never told me. When he was trying to describe his life, to compare it to mine, he never told me he was fighting for a world that hated him. If I lived in a world where they were going to be so ungrateful for me risking my life for them, I would just stop." He cradled his coffee in his hand and looked outside. "Maybe that's kind of insensitive of me, but I'm not really keen on sacrificing myself when no one's going to appreciate it." Link thought of the legend, that he would have to keep on fighting across generations. At some point, at least he would be able to rest and another would take over the fight. "At least in my world people like me. I don't think I could do it here."

"I'm sure Rock is conflicted about it as well, but he would never admit it. His sense of justice is too strong. That's why he wins each time. He's fighting for his ideals, not the people."

"But he loses each time, because he's restricted by the laws. So it's a cycle. So you'll never be at peace."

Roll shrugged. "I guess you could see it that way. But it's better that the laws are in place than not. Otherwise, mass chaos would likely rule, rather than stopping one madman."

Link continued, "Mega Man was telling me about the legend of Pinocchio, about a wooden puppet that became real. And he had to have a cricket for conscience. I guess that's sort of what those laws are - artificial conscience. To act as protection for humans who are too scared of robots and them taking over. If all the laws are in place, I just don't understand how humans here can be so fearful and hating of robots."

Roll looked into the window with a forlorn expression. Maybe there was another way of making Link understand. "There is another legend here, I don't think Mega Man told you about... Frankenstein." She turned back to Link who was eager to hear the story. "Long, long ago, probably from a society similar to yours, there was once a doctor who wanted to create a human being from parts of the dead, to give life to non-life, to discover the secret of creation. But when he succeeded, he was horrified by the monster he created and it ran away. The monster, shunned, rejected, and confused, accidentally killed some of the townspeople because he had no sense of his own strength or of morality, since he was practically a newborn with the strength of a man. The citizens of the town became angry and chased him back to the castle of his creator where they set it on fire and burned the two to death."

The two sat in silence for a minute, contemplating the meaning of the story.

Link said, "So there are two sides to everything."

Roll nodded. "Robots are complex machines. People made us too smart, too quick, and too many and we suffer for their mistakes. People fear what they don't understand. Then the fear grows to hate."

"It must be horrible to be so important, and have people hate you for it." He took a sip from the now luke-warm coffee. Quickly he spat out the bitter taste and spilled the mug on the floor. "Acck, it's poisoned."

"No, it's just bitter."

"Is this what you drink here?"

"I don't drink anything, but many humans like it."

"I think I'll just die of thirst, thanks."

"There're many other drinks for you."

"Well, I've never drank a revitalizing potion so bad before," Link said he wiped his mouth.

"It's not really a potion..." Roll started to say. Just then she received a communication from Mega Man.

_Roll?_

_Yeah?_

_Can you bring Link down to the hangar. I think I might have found a way out._

_No problem._

_Okay, see you in a bit._

Link looked curiously at Roll as she stared blankly into space.

"I just got a message from Mega Man," she explained. "He says he found a way to get out. Come on."

"All right." Link picked up his equipment and followed her out of the room. She took him down the elevator to an underground hangar where Mega Man was waiting for them next to a small vehicle. It reminded Link of a flat, squished horse. Roll recognized it as a snow-skidder. It was meant for two people though. They were going to have to huddle up on it.

"It's fueled up," he shouted across the vast, echoing room. "I just need the doors open and we can get out of here."

"Right, I'm on that," Roll said and went into a room nearby with clear glass paneling so they could see what she was doing.

Mega Man waved Link over to him. "Does this fly too?" the Hylian asked, feeling the tightness in his stomach.

"No, it glides across the snow. Some people report the sensation as flying." Mega Man hoisted his leg onto the driver's seat and gripped the handlebars. Link seated himself behind as he would on a saddle as the robot turned a knob on the control panel. A great big sound erupted from the skidder. Link covered his ears in pain, and felt the seat below him vibrate violently.

"Hold on tightly to my stomach," Mega Man yelled over the din. Link regretfully removed his hands from his ears and wrapped them around Mega Man's cold metal armor.

_Roll, get behind Link, that way he has a lesser chance of falling off._

_Right._

The large double doors began to pull apart slowly. Snow started blowing into the base, frosting Link's cheeks.

"Thermal shield time." Link hit the button on his waist and the sphere enveloped him once again in comforting warmth.

"Good idea," Mega Man said.

Roll came out of the control room and headed to the skidder, hopping in behind Link. Link straightened up nervously as she put her hands under his arms, more alert than the coffee would make him.

"Okay, everyone, hang on," Mega Man said as he hit buttons and switches across the board, "This might be kind of fast."

He gripped a large lever on the floor and pushed it forward. The skidder started moving ahead, fish-tailing faintly from the standstill acceleration. The engine sputtered at a higher frequency and started propelling them out of the shadowed hangar. Wind permeated Link's shield, nearly blowing his cap off. Floodlights from all around the airport were lit up and giving off tons of light. Mega Man pushed the skidder forward faster in order to get them out of there before the robots found them.

"Faster, Mega Man," Roll uttered in fear.

"I'm trying. It's not an advanced craft. I need more speed."

Link was gripping onto Mega Man tightly enough to crush a like-like as the ground rushed faster and faster beneath them, inches from his boots.

"Uh, I think we should slow down actually. I think we're going too fast," Link said through gritted teeth.

"We haven't even reached top speed yet. This is only 5 of the speed we were going in the metonicle."

"Oh boy..." he said with fright.

"I think we're gonna make it," Mega Man said, looking around.

Suddenly, a yellow globule rushed past Mega Man's nose.

"What was that?" Link asked.

Mega Man looked behind him, there was a robot shaped kind of like a snow skidder speeding towards them. It was like he was built into the vehicle. "We've been spotted. Hang on." Mega Man tilted the handlebars to the left, trying some evasive maneuvers. The skidder took a sharp turn to the left to avoid the ground fire. The pursuer kept on them and continued shooting at them.

"Rock, what are we gonna do? We're sitting ducks up here!" Roll shouted.

"I know! I can't shoot and drive at the same time!"

"We can't outrun him!"

"I know!"

"No problem!" Link shouted. He dove into his knapsack and pulled out a round, black sphere with a string coming out. Finally, he had something they didn't.

"What's that?" Roll shouted.

"Your ticket outta here." He pulled on the wick and it ignited. "Bombs away!"

He tossed the globe over his head. It sailed in the air and dropped directly on the enemy just as it barreled through. The bomb exploded with tremendous force, and the skidder spun like a top, out of control, finally bursting into a snowdrift.

"Yeah!" Link said as he pumped his fist. "Got him! I am useful!"

"What?" Mega Man asked.

**Next Chapter: Home Alone**


	7. Chapter 39: Home Alone

_Chapter 39: Home Alone_

"All right, now slip the RADSL under the relational OLAP and connect those two wires."

Mega Man grabbed the cord and delicately slipped it under the cross-ways pipe that acted as a joint reflexer. He navigated the needle-nose pliers under the same rod and injected the cord back into the socket.

"Roll, can you sense the connection?" Dr. Light said.

"Yes."

"Okay, can you start up your ScanRISC program and see if the connections are back up."

"They are."

"Okay, now, Rock, take that OLR modulator and adjust her variance frequency with it."

Link stared on in dumb disbelief. He hadn't understood a single word any of them had said so far. The Dr. Light avatar was being displayed in the Computer screen and was instructing Mega Man on how to fix Roll. She had apparently suffered many minor malfunctions during her freezing time and Mega Man insisted that she was repaired back to her standard before he let her out of the house again. Link guessed it was because Roll was so headstrong. The Hylian sat in a corner with his chin leaning on his fist, extremely bored at hearing the acronyms flung back and forth. Programming must have been one of the most tedious roles to take in this society, like accounting.

"Try a diagnostic now, Roll," Dr. Light said from the screen.

Roll closed her eyes, performing the tests internally. "I think it's working now. No errors reported."

"One hundred percent?"

"Yes."

"Excellent. All right, that was the last thing we needed to repair. Right, Roll?"

"Yes, I feel back to standard operating now." She took one of her reacquired pistols out of the holster and spun it around her finger. "And ready for action." She jumped down off the table and shut the panel on her arm where Mega Man was tweaking before. "Should we come over now?"

"Yes, by all means."

Mega Man turned to Link. "All right, Link, we're gonna teleport to Dr. Light's hospital room now. Is it all right to leave you alone here?"

"Yeah, that's fine. You won't be gone long?"

"No. We just have to discuss what happened in detail. Compare notes, as it was."

"That's fine. I don't need a babysitter."

"All right." Mega Man neglected to mention that he had set the child safety parameters on the manor for Link. "We'll contact you if we need to. Just follow the instructions on the computer screens if you need help. They'll all over the mansion."

"Ready?" Roll said.

"Yes."

Dr. Light's image winked out. Both Roll and Mega Man's forms shifted and became pillars of red and blue light respectively, They shot up into the ceiling and disappeared, leaving Link all alone.

"Finally," he said as he rubbed his hands together. "Time to explore."

His stomach then started rumbling.

"I guess I mean, time to eat," he said as he looked down at his empty gut. "Wonder what they eat here. I hope it's not all robot food."

He got up and exited the laboratory. "Computer, show me to food."

The chirpy female voice of the manor's Computer piped up. "Where do you want me to show you?"

"To food. I'd like some food please." Link was wondering why he had to speak vocally to the Computer when it could respond telepathically. Maybe it had ears, but no mouth. Plus it seemed to have a different voice every time. Maybe there were multiple Computers, one for each building.

"Would you like to hear a list of restaurants in the area?"

"No, I just want some food. This is a big place, doesn't it have a kitchen?" This Computer was starting to frustrate Link. Maybe he wouldn't get one to take back home.

"This manor is equipped with a room for preparing meals."

"Good! Where is it?"

"From your current location, exit the room, turn right, continue on past three room, turn left, continue on for two rooms, turn right."

"Thank you." Link finally said. Remembering the instructions, he walked out and turned right. Walking past some luxurious rooms, he stopped where the directions ended and faced a smaller version of the castle's kitchens. There must have been a small amount of people living here to warrant such a tiny kitchen. This place could probably only feed a family's worth.

There was an island in the middle with concentric circles on it and some other appliances which were unknown to him. But rifling through cabinets and drawers he could find no food, only utensils and strange devices, some of which he thought it better not to ask questions about.

"Um, where's the food?"

"Food is located in the kitchen pantry."

"But I'm in the kitchen."

No response.

"Well, you're a big help," Link said idly as he opened a door at random. It looked like a walk-in closet with hundreds of little cubbyhole drawers up to the ceiling, and one large one in the middle.

"This is certainly interesting."

Going by instinct he looked at the central cubbyhole. There were several buttons on the device, so he pressed the biggest one. It buzzed with discontent. He hit some more buttons, each buzzing unpleasantly until one said "Please state selection."

Link was a bit confused. "You mean food? Ah, what's good here?"

"Please state selection."

"Um, all right, I'll have an apple."

The machine whirred for a second and deposited an apple in the screen. Link, flabbergasted, pulled on the handle to open the drawer. Delighted his food came so fast, he bit into it. It was just about the sweetest, juiciest apple he had ever tasted.

"Wow, this is great? Can this thing get me anything I want?" He pressed the button again. "I want a chopped sirloin and mushrooms with romani cheese."

It buzzed in discontent. "Chopped sirloin not found, romani cheese not found."

"Hmm, guess not everything," he mused to himself. "How about some baked cucco in glazed mustard with a side of pineapple rings?" He rubbed his hands together and licked his lips as he thought of the meal.

It buzzed again. "Cucco not found. Pineapple available not in specified format. Do you wish to proceed?"

"Uh... yes?"

The screen blacked out again. Link watched and listened as the walls whirred, almost sounding like they were bubbling. Then a healthy pineapple appeared on its side. Link pulled the drawer open and took it out.

"Oh well," he said as he looked at it. "I guess you can only order basic ingredients." He suddenly cursed his inability to cook, wishing he'd taken Zelda's opportunity to show him when he had the chance. "Hmm, what's something I don't get very often? Can you make me a poultry product, uh, baked, with a strawberry tart?"

Amazingly, the machine whirred, the screen blacked out again, and the bubbling in the background sounded. A plate of chicken with stuffing was sitting there, along with a red, crumbly pastry. Link rubbed his hands, thinking he was going to like it here.

Thirty minutes later, after Link had let out his belt and waddled out of the pantry. "Oh, man, I'm going to have to get some recipes from Mega Man before I go back. Phew."

He rolled out of kitchen and wandered down the hall.

"Hm, now what am I going to do?" He passed by some art in the halls and some other decorative touches, inspecting them, not really finding what he was looking for. After some nosy peeking into rooms, he became suddenly aware of the creepy silence invading his ears. Usually, there was some natural noise, either the rushing of the wind or the creaking of a house. Here, it was eerily silent, and even a little boring.

"Hmm, Mega Man said the Computer tell me to do anything I asked it. I wonder... Computer, play some music, please."

"Please specify a genre or station?"

"Uh, genre, what's a genre?"

"A genre is a class of art, or artistic endeavor, having a characteristic form or technique. In colloquial, a type or kind of something."

Link didn't know there were different types of music. Just the kind they play at pubs and the kind they play at royal functions. "Um, just regular music, please."

"Please specify a genre or station."

"Just play whatever everyone listens to here."

"Finding Top 40 station. Mainline 504."

A sudden heart pounding song came ringing through the speakers. It didn't even sound like music to Link, just a lot of beeps and boops, with loud static in the background and some high-pitched girl warbling incoherently. Link put his hands to his ears and nearly dropped to his knees.

"Aggh, no, stop it, stop playing!"

The noise cut out with a wink. If this was what passed for music in this world...

"What do people do for entertainment here?"

"The most popular form of entertainment for this country is holographic television."

"Okay, um, do that."

"Command not understood. Please rephrase."

"Um, how does holographic television work? What do I need to do?"

"Holographic television uses a system tri-point lasers to-"

"No, no, skip that. Just tell me where it is."

"The holographic television is located in the family room. From your current location, turn left, proceed down the corridor and turn right. Enter the room and press the power switch on the holographic pad."

"Okay, family room, family room." Link traversed the rooms until he found something like a disc in the middle of a set of couches. "Interesting." He stepped on the pad, thinking it was something like the teleport device. Nothing happened, so he inspected the disc. There were several buttons and displays on it. He pressed one big green one.

The surface of the disc lit up and a woman began waving her arms frantically in the air.

"Jeez! How did you get here?"

"Are you bothered by feminine itching?"

"...Uh... what?"

"That painful burning sensation. And there's nothing you can do about it."

"...errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..."

"Try new and improved Hartaculine 45. It's got oxycetaline and benzoate vitamins."

"I... how did you get here?"

The woman faded out of existence.

"Acck! Wait, where did you go?"

Two women teleported onto the pad, as well as a couch and other objects hanging in mid-air.

"Wait, what's going on?"

"But Tammy says you couldn't go out tonight," one woman said.

"Pfft, you think Dan can keep me here. The Rag Dogs are playing at Club Cadbury. I can't not go!" the other said.

"The Rag Dogs! Hang on, I'll get my money."

Link scratched his head, until he inspected the scene playing before him a bit more. The people and objects were all strangely transparent, as if they were only half there. On an experiment, he stuck his hand through and it passed without resistance.

"Ghosts? I'm watching ghosts put on a play?"

The two ghost women continued talking about sneaking out of the window. They were also apparently oblivious of his presence.

"Man, this world is weird," he said as he sat down on the show, watching the lives of ghosts portrayed through this disc. "But I might as well enjoy it."

* * *

Mega Man and Roll opened the door and peeked inside. "Dr. Light?"

Dr. Light was lying on the bed, his face leaned away on his pillow, apparently sleeping.

"Dr. Light, are you awake?" Roll repeated.

He slowly rolled his head over, sleepiness dragging his eyelids down. "Mmm... Oh, Roll... Rock," he answered hazily. "Rock!" he said as he came to his senses.

"Hi, doctor," he said.

Dr. Light held his arms out for a hug, which Mega Man gave quite willingly. "Oh, it's so good to see you. You are all right, aren't you," he said as he gave a few clanging pats on the metal back.

"Had an interesting time, but I'm okay." _I think,_ he added mentally.

"I want to hear all about it. It was just through the transporter I built?"

"Yes, although now it's destroyed."

"I have no idea what settings it was on the last time I was working on it. The last thing I remember was adjusting something on the primary CPU. Then Roll yanked me out of there. Maybe I bumped an isolinear chip? I wonder if there was a fluke in the polymatrix that-"

"Doctor, we can figure this all out later," Roll said. "But for right now, Link is fine, and time is of the essence."

"Ah, yes. Wily," Light nodded, "This is a most interesting turn that he's taking."

"And I don't think he did it to add to his pottery collection," Mega Man said. "Roll told me what was going on, showed me the evidence. I still think the key is in the binary code."

Roll said, "But we haven't been able to find out what it means."

"Neither have I. But I have been able to do a little more research on Dr. Selkirk." Light picked up his movable display screen by the attached bendable arm and rotated it so that all three could see. Mega Man moved around the bed so that Dr. Light was in between him and his sister.

"I looked up some newspaper articles, read some of his technical documents, white papers, um... his autobiography."

"His autobiography was 2.4 million words long!" Roll said.

"I get very bored here in the hospital. I'm surprised I haven't made schematics for a time machine yet. Anyway. Here's the long and skinny of it." Roll meekly smiled as she heard Dr. Light mix his metaphors. The human brought up an image of Dr. Selkirk. He had thick square glasses, greasy straight black hair, and a confident smirk.

"He was a premier roboticist as you know. I had the... uh, experience of seeing him at some conferences. Early in his career. He was a very dynamic individual. He was a genius at artificial intelligence. Spoke a lot about the future of robotics."

"Dr. Light, I think we're just looking for the facts at hand," Mega Man said.

"Ah, yes. So," he scrolled through some of the documents he had saved to his personal folder. "Went to school at Oxford, got his Ph. D. at Cambridge. Got his second at Harvard. Got his _third_ at Yale. You can see he was quite a genius. And of course, various awards. Accomplishments." He waggled his finger and glanced at Rock. "Now this is the interesting part. During the last part of his career, before he died, he released some white papers of his experiments at putting a human brain inside a robot. He called it the 'ghost in the shell' project."

"He wanted to put a human brain inside a robot?"

"That's about the summary of it. It was hard to decipher his notes about it, they were half lab report, half ranting about other roboticists trying to steal his work... and half trying to order a danish."

Mega Man jerked his head back in confusion.

Roll said, "Uh, Dr. Light, that's more than two halves."

"I know! That's how crazy this guy was." He brought up the cover page of the offending article. "He basically said that if a robot was sophisticated enough, and had something similar to the synaptic nerve pathways humans use for motor functions, there was no reason that a brain couldn't be used to operate a robot, like a brain operates a human body. And it was pretty much a plug and play operation."

"Drop the brain in the robot, make the connections, and watch it go," Rock interpreted.

"Exactly, so, what mad scientist do we know who would want something like that?"

"Wily," Mega Man said with grim attitude.

Roll said, "Wily was a fanatic about robots, but would he actually want to become one?"

Mega Man looked up at her. "Imagine Wily's brain inside something like me. Or bigger."

"Ah."

"All right, so Wily wants to put his brain, or maybe multiple brains, inside a robot." Mega Man had to keep himself from shuddering at the thought. "That doesn't really explain why he stole the vase. I mean, all this information is freely available online. What does the vase, or the binary code have to do with it?"

"Hmm... we have to think like Wily on this one. If I was a power-mad maniac, what I want to do with this? I'd want to find all the information I can... and then destroy it so no one can trace me."

"All the information he can? Is a vase he made really that significant?"

"It might if Wily knew the binary code was on it."

"Well, if he wanted to find all the information he could, then he'd go to every single site connected to Dr. Selkirk, like his house."

"Aha!" Dr. Light entered some information into his computer and looked up Dr. Selkirk's residence. "I bet Wily visited there, I bet. Hmm, yes, let's see." He clicked around. "Oh," he said dejectedly. "It looks like his house eventually burned down. Now it's a parking lot." He thoughtfully brought up some pictures. "A nice parking lot, but still a parking lot. Wow, look at all those spots."

"Doctor."

"Right, okay, so the house is a bust. And he didn't have a summer home or anything like that."

"Might he have had a cabin in the woods?" Mega Man said.

"Perhaps, but the registrations records don't show anything." Light investigated more. "Wait, the house was burned down after he was arrested, right?" he asked rhetorically. "So all his property would have been seized and auctioned off by the police force."

"But all his documents were taken and made available under the creative commons license," Roll said.

"But what about unpublished material?"

Mega Man and Dr. Light looked at each other. "He had to have a personal computer," the robot said.

"And what happened to that?" Dr. Light accessed the police record files, going back several years in their records. The two robots scanned the lengthy texts looking for signs of clues.

"There, Dr. Selkirk was arrested on December 17th, and there was an auction held a week later. Access that file."

Mega Man pointed and Dr. Light clicked. The file listed all the items brought up for auction, including previous owners. Dr. Selkirk's name speckled the list with odd implements, including a personal computer.

"It sold as a set to... the CORE group."

"What are they?"

"CORE is a non-profit organization for the history of computing, as I recall. I wonder..." Dr. Light minimized the auction information and opened a new search for museums owned by CORE. "Aha, I was right. My hunch was right. The Babbage International Museum of Technology."

"What about it?" Roll asked.

"Of course, they have an exhibit there dedicated to the development of robot A.I. I have some artifacts in there as well. And look what else is there."

Light brought up a promotional picture of the inside of the exhibit. In the middle of the room was a yellowing computer sitting on a desk.

"That's Dr. Selkirk's computer," Mega Man said.

"And it's been untouched since it was seized. The law doesn't require extraction of data or reformatting of equipment for auction. They wouldn't have bothered with something as old as this."

Mega Man said, "So some of Selkirk's data might still be on it."

Roll interrupted, "But he would have protected it with at least 512-bit encryption. There's no way we could get at it without destroying it."

"What do you think the binary code's for?" Light mused.

Mega Man and Roll looked between them. "We have to get to the museum before Wily does!" she uttered, and readied her teleporting system.

"Hold on," Mega Man instructed with his hand held up. "Let's not be too hasty, or we'll alert Dr. Wily that we know. There haven't been any reports of a break-in yet, have they?"

"Nope."

"Good. Doctor, can you tell the museum to put up a low level tachyon field, scattered enough so that it avoids detection for awhile. We'll get down there as soon as we can."

"Why not before I tell them to put up the tachyon field?"

"Because, first we have to get Link."

**Next Chapter: Train Ride**


	8. Chapter 40: Train Ride

_Chapter 40: Train Ride_

Mega Man's blue and Roll's purple-red columns dematerialized in the living room of the mansion. They looked around briefly, making sure everything was as they left it.

"Link?" Mega Man intoned.

He heard some sort of groaning coming from the family room. Mega Man called out "Link? Is that you?"

"In here," came a garbled reply.

Mega Man and Roll followed the voice and found Link watching the holo-vid, stretched out on the couch and holding a bottle of soda.

"Ah, I see you found the holo-vid," the robot said.

"No, no, no! What're you doing?" Link yelled out. "You can't go for it on fourth and ten! Are you daft?"

With curiosity, they examined Link's sprawled out form, boots on the couch, slumped back into the cushions. "Can you believe it? Those tigers are down by three and they're going for it and..." he picked up the remote control from the table and clicked a button. The sports players vaporized and were replaced with two teenage girls sobbing. "And Trina caught Vick kissing another girl. Can you believe that? After she took him to the prom when no one else would go with him... in the rain! How would you feel about that? And then that rude couple talking about their home mortgage loan came in and I don't know what happened after that."

"Uh, Link."

"I tell you, this ghost world is weird, but it sure is fun to watch. It's like a one-way door into a different world. And it's so dynamic."

"Uh, Link, that's not a portal into a ghost world, it's just a holo-vid."

"We'll explain later," Roll said. "We need you to come with us."

"Did you find a way to get me back?"

"No, nothing related to that unfortunately. We've got a bit of a mystery to investigate, figured you wanted some adventure anyway."

"Can I bring my potion?"

"Your what?"

He waggled the glass bottle in front of them. "These things taste great, but I've had four and I still don't feel any effect."

"That's just a beverage, Link. There is no effect... except to make you gassy."

"Oh, well." Link wanted to find out if anything was going to happen to the ghosts of Trina and Vick, but he was also getting an itch to get off his butt and do something. If for nothing else than to walk off the 'soda's. He wasn't going to get any exploring done laying on the couch.

"Eh, why not."

He stood up. "All right, come with us. What'd you do while we were gone?"

"BRAAAAAAP!" Link belched.

The two robots slowly turned back to him. Link made a sheepish grin.

"'Scuse me," he said meekly.

* * *

Mega Man, Roll, and Link stepped out of the hovercar and into the bright sunlight. Link wasn't too scared by the ride over. Mega Man told him it was similar to the hovercraft that was shot down in Antarctica, but slower and meant for city travel. This time though, it was piloted by someone he knew and trusted. Mega Man kept at safe speeds throughout the journey to keep Link from being terrified, much to the chagrin of the cars behind him. Everyone walked or took horses where Link was from, so this was a difficult concept to grasp. Apparently, the cities were so large they needed super fast and maneuverable vehicles, when not using teleporters.

And true to his word, the buildings in this city stretched to the sky. The streets were cleaned and well-maintained. Instead of being trodded dirt, they were made out of some hard material, like an aqueduct filled with a solid substance. But there was nothing natural in the air. It felt like the city was made entirely out of material like building blocks. They were different colors, bright and vibrant, but they were all shaped the same. The streets were synthetic and uniform, the buildings were synthetic and uniform, the people below were synthetic and uniform. They walked from place to place with the same step, the same outfits. The city was arranged in a neat and straight criss-cross pattern, no twists and turns, no dead-ends, everywhere lead to something, designed to maximum efficiency. It would have to be for such a major metropolis, otherwise there would be massive clogging.

Link squinted his eyes in the broad daylight as he stepped out of the cab. This was his first time outdoors in the new world, and he was unaccustomed to the bright sunlight coming down from the thinned ozone layer. He stared at the walkway out to the street as he followed Mega Man's boots.

"It's so bright out. Your sun must be closer to the land," Link said.

Mega Man didn't bother correcting him, mostly because he wasn't sure what the differences were between his and Hyrule's planet. Link's eyes adjusted enough that he could look over the cool green lawn leading up to the train station. It was decorated with hedge animals and flowerbeds. "Those are statues made of plant?" Link asked.

"Shaped out of plant."

"Wow, that's pretty amazing. If you could show me how to do that, the king would be really impressed."

"Yes," Mega Man mumbled. He wasn't quite sure how to break it to him that he might never get back to his world. Apparently, Link was of the mind that once Dr. Light got home, he'd be able to repair the transporter and send him on his merry way. But the machine was in an experimental state, not even completely built. There was no telling how many factors were involved in getting the gate connected to Hyrule. It could have been a one-in-a-billion chance. The android was starting to regret ever taking it at all.

Mega Man paid the tickets for the three of them and then stepped up to the platform and waited. It was a large room with two large grooves formed in the middle. At the bottom of the grooves was a path made of criss-crossed metal and wooden planks, like what was used in rail cars for mining. Other small groups of people were standing around, waiting for something as well. Several of them were standing individually and talking, seemingly to no one. Men wore typically bright, colorful clothes, or drab formal things. The women looked like they were wearing nothing at all. Their clothes might as well have been painted on. It was all Link could do to not stare.

Instead, Link looked around at the various posters, promoting strange products and services. One poster showed a timepiece that could be worn on the wrist, telling you the time no matter where you were, not needing to be outdoors, or build a clock tower. Another exhibited a 'hydrogen reactor' for vehicles like Link had seen before. All of them had that same jump-off-the-wall ghost technology that Link had seen before. Humans must have used ghosts for serving them like robots, but probably employed them with pay, because they weren't created. At least not in the conventional sense.

"Excuse me, do you like medieval history?"

Link turned to the man who accosted him. "Medieval history?" The man was wearing a glowing ring around his neck and a double-breasted black suit modified with buttons on each side, connected with a small rope. "Uh, I guess." Link had a mild interest in historical records, especially the epics and sagas of old. Guess they had the classification of 'mid-evil' here.

"Then you should watch 'The Coming of the King' premiering on Epix. It's found on the history stream."

"Uh... okay."

He left Link and moved on to a different person, who Link overheard asking him another question. Link was about to ask Mega Man what that was all about, but the robot precluded him.

"That was a sutty. They're undercover advertisers who work in social gatherings. They talk about a product as if they were just a normal citizen, but they really work for the company they're advertising."

"He really wasn't very good," Roll interjected.

"No, I could see him a mile away," Mega Man added.

Link felt a rumbling under his feet. Mega Man and Roll started looking down one end of the platform. A great big metal snake was traveling down the path, glaring its one big eye-beam at them.

"That's no rail car." Link's hand grasped the hilt of his sword just as Mega Man stopped him. "Don't worry, it's just another vehicle. It's called a train. It travels on a specified path, carrying either passengers or cargo."

"It's not a monster?" Link asked with reserved ferocity.

"No. Just a vehicle called a train."

"So we're going to have to get inside it?"

"Yes."

"It looks fast."

"It is."

"Goody."

The train silently glided to a halt along the tracks, leaving the doors directly in front of the three. The word 'zephos' was painted in calligraphic script on the side, above the green-blue detailing. Mega Man approached the doors and slipped the ticket into a slot. A small green light blinked and the doors opened. It was hollow on the inside with rows of seats and poles, covered in burgundy upholstery. Link lost track of time, examining the parts of the train, as people entered the vessel. Soon the doors closed and the train's momentum shifted forward. Link grabbed onto a pole to keep himself from falling over.

Link kept his eyes glued to the small square windows as the view changed from the darkness of the station to the white outside, traveling at high velocity. He could feel the vibrating hum of the train, silent as it was, as the train accelerated faster and faster. "So remind me again why we're not teleporting," the Hylian said.

"Too close to teleport," Mega Man answered, hanging onto a rope on the ceiling. Link changed his grip to the same. "We told Dr. Light to get the museum to activate a tachyon field. Besides, the teleporter takes a massive amount of power. Roll and I can teleport, but that would mean we'd have to leave you behind. Also, I didn't want you to get sick again."

"Oh, yeah, not getting sick." Link said as a wave of nausea passed over him as they crossed a bridge, the vast open canyon broadening down and down. To stave off another round of stomach cramps, he focused on reading the advertisements lining the ceiling and upper portion of the cab.

_Hey, Rock, why aren't we teleporting?_ Roll communicated wirelessly, _I mean, why are we even bringing Link along? Aren't we just wasting time?_

_You saw me with Light. This is a detective story. I don't have the capacity to figure it out. I don't have the creative thinking. He does. He has the deductive reasoning. I saw it. I could barely survive in the temples he walked through without a second thought._

_Rock, you're selling yourself short._

_I'm limited by my programming. You're the same. We can't think creatively. And we need a creative thinker for this._

_Well, then, why couldn't we just keep a comm line open to Dr. Light and tell him what we're seeing?_

_Too hard. We need someone to be there with us._

_And Link is that guy? No offense, but he doesn't know how to lace his treads here._

_Trust me. I've seen him in action._

Roll communicated a sigh over their wireless connection. _If you say so._

The door at the end of the room opened and a half-size robot moving on wheels rolled down the corridor, shaped slightly like a trashcan, but wider, and with two big glass eyes. It had a flat surface on its head and two thin arms. Link, still looking up, didn't see the robot come up behind him.

"WOULD-YOU-LIKE-A-DRINK-SIR?" it asked mechanically.

Link nearly jumped out of his skin. He flipped around and fell against the wall of the train. "What?" He darted his head down, looking at a canister resting at his feet. It was another robot, not very human-like though. That was what confused him. "Uh, sure."

"OUR-SPECIAL-TODAY-IS-THE-FUZZBUMP."

"Sure, one of those."

A tab with a translucent blue color whirred out from what Link figured was the robot's neck.

"PRESS-THUMB-TO-PAD-TO-PROCESS-AGE-VERIFICATION."

Link, just following instructions, pressed his thumb on the dirty pad, marked with others' fingerprints. The blue light turned green, and a pleasant beep sounded. "AGE-VERIFIED."

Link looked up at Mega Man. "Does it know who I am?"

"Not really, it just knows how old you are by measuring the carbon-44 decay in your body."

"What?"

"It's a way of measuring the age of anything by looking at certain elements in your body and seeing how old they are."

"Oh, interesting."

The robot dropped a cup made of paper into its stomach, then it's esophagus began dribbling a purple liquid down until the cup filled. The robot grabbed it with its claw-like arm and offered it to Link. "YOUR-DRINK-SIR."

"Thanks," he replied. He wasn't quite sure if he wanted to drink some sort of robotic byproduct. It could be poisoned. On the other hand, this little guy didn't look very malevolent, and he did drink milk after all. That was an animal byproduct. He took a large sip from the paper cup.

"How is it?" Mega Man asked.

"... spicy," Link replied weakly. In reality, it felt like his tongue had fallen off and his throat was burning away like acid.

"There it is." Roll looked out the window and pointed. A white concrete building was standing there, large steps leading up to roman columns. It was near the destination train station. The train announced that it was reaching its stop, slowed down, and opened its doors to let out the passengers. Mega Man, Roll, and Link were the only ones from their cab who exited the train.

They walked out of the station and onto the street. Link was certain they changed villages, due to the different look of this town. The buildings' colors had been altered dramatically, from pink and blue to golden autumn colors. Besides that, the objects and people floating around looked nearly the same. He saw a robot street-sweeper, squatting over the sidewalk, giant rotating brushes spun out around his feet as he rolled down the street.

Coming out of his distraction, he ran after Mega Man and Roll who had already crossed the street and started walking up to the white steps of the building. Some hanging banners read that it was the 'Babbage International Museum of Computers and Technology'. Maybe it was some sort of shrine or temple. Link hoped he had the right equipment to get in.

"Good morning," Mega Man said to an officer standing next to an archway.

"Morning," the strong-chinned humanoid robot security guard replied.

Roll nodded as she passed under the arch. Link passed and an alarm suddenly emanated from the two guard robots.

"Hold it," one of them said, holding out his palm to stop them.

Link instinctively went for his sword, backing up into a battle stance, keeping Roll and Mega Man at his back.

"Unauthorized lethal devices detected. Please hand it over for inspection."

"What device?" Link said.

"I think he means your sword," Roll said.

"No chance, buddy, I only take my sword off to sleep."

The robot stepped forward. "Failure to turn over your weapon will result in immediate arrest and arraignment."

"Try your best."

"Wait, wait," Mega Man said, stepping in between Link and the officers. "I'll vouch for this. He's authorized to carry the weapons. I invoke code 479A."

"Code recognized. The devices will be permitted as long as they are kept on the person and not left unobserved for more than an hour."

"Understood." Mega Man nodded and turned around, gesturing the two ahead of him to keep moving.

"What was that all about?" Link asked.

"You have some things on you that are considered weapons, like your sword. They're not allowed in places with large numbers of people."

"Oh. In my world, no one goes around without at least a dagger. Just as a practical tool, not even for defense." He turned to Mega Man. "Well, wait, why didn't you get stopped? You have that arm cannon.. Isn't that a lethal device?"

"I don't get stopped because I'm a robot. It's in my programming never to harm humans, the three laws of robotics."

"Ah, yes, Roll told me about them. So you couldn't harm a human even if you wanted to."

"It's not quite a matter of wanting. It's just that I can't. Like no one makes a rule about humans flying because they can't fly. The laws prevent me from doing anything before I even do it."

Roll bit her lip and remained silent.

**Next Chapter: Link to the Past**


	9. Chapter 41: Link to the Past

_Chapter 41: Link to the Past_

Mega Man pulled up the red banister and let Roll and Link duck under the velvet rope. The little hanging sign said this section was under reconstruction, but they all knew that not to be true. Dr. Light had told them to section off this part of the museum so they could investigate it. It looked like the museum staff had done their job in an expedient manner. The inlet room had its lights turned off except for the emergency skylights in the ceiling casting dim shadows. Link couldn't really see anything very well, but they all looked like machines and devices on tables or in glass cases. The only thing he had recognized so far was an giant abacus in the entrance hall, meant to be a piece of art.

Mega Man led them to the center of the room, looking inside a glass case. There was a large square-like yellow monitor and a rectangular box next to it. It was situated on a wooden desk with a chair, meant to resemble how a person would have sat at this machine if they were using it for real.

"Well, it looks like we're the first ones here," Mega Man said. "That's a good thing." Apparently, there had been no break-ins, and no attempts to access the computer.

Link read the blurb plaque pasted on the side of the glass, seemingly floating in the air. "Dr. John Selkirk's computer. This was the personal computer of the infamous robot scientist. He designed nearly thirty different types of computer and robot A.I. until his career came to a tragic end, due to mental instability. After his arrest, his property was seized and auctioned off. The CORE group obtained his personal computer seized from his home where he undoubtedly designed many of his schematics."

"Undoubtedly?" Roll asked her brother.

"I guess that proves our theory no one ever looked at it. Probably because of the password needed. And I doubt they had anything compatible to hook it up to for hacking it." He gestured to the archaic looking machine. Any attempts to try and access its data using modern technology would have been fruitless, due to the incompatibility.

The three of them took different sides of the rectangular prism. "How do we open this?" Roll asked.

Mega Man knelt down to the floor. "It's latched into the ground. Let's see." Mega Man gripped his fingers between the glass and the pedestal it was bolted to. His fingertip flipped up and a thin metal reed extended out. He jammed it into the latch and moved it around for a moment. A click sounded and Mega Man took it out, opened the latch, and gripped onto the bottom. "All right, lift."

Roll and Link took both sides of the square and lifted up. Roll easily picked the cage up like it was paper. Link essentially did little more than keep it in balance for her. Once she had it over her head and over the computer she set it down on the side.

Mega Man pulled out the chair and sat down. "Computer." No response. The monitor stayed as a blank screen, and it made no acknowledgement sounds. "Computer?"

"Try that thing," Roll said.

Mega Man picked up the walkie-talkie communicator. "Hello, computer?"

Still nothing. "How did these things work?" he asked.

"Oh, wait, there was a power switch, wasn't there?" Roll said.

Mega Man pressed in the button with the universal symbol for power near the bottom of the monitor. A small LED next to it lit green, then switched to orange.

Roll said, "Orange? That usually means caution."

Mega Man said, "Caution what? It's not like I need to wait for something."

Mega Man tried hitting buttons on the box next to it, front and back. "One of these has to work." He typed onto the keyboard, pressing buttons he didn't recognize that might have activated the power.

"I'm pretty sure this is the power switch," Roll said, pressing one central button on the box. "I don't know why it's not working."

Link looked around the box itself. "What about its tail?"

"Tail?" Mega Man asked.

"Yeah," Link bent down and picked up a black cord. "Should I try yanking it? It could be some sort of pull-cord."

"Oh, right, the power plug. Let's see," he scanned the around the perimeter.

"It looks like it could fit into there," Link said and pointed over to a dark corner of the wall.

"Aha, there's one." Mega Man took the plug and walked over to the dark corner and knelt before it.

"I wonder if this still works. The museum used to use city power before they piped in hydroelectric lighting. Let's see." He pushed the cord into the slots so they lined up. "Now try pushing the buttons."

Roll hit the central button on the box. The light indicator turned green, much to her surprise. It began emitting a loud hum and several clicks. The monitor it was attached to lit up as well. Mega Man came over.

"It's starting up," he said. "Just wait."

The monitor displayed several colorful screens, picturing corporate logos of the software it was starting. A text box appeared, prompting for the input of a password.

"Aha, here we go," he said and typed in the long binary string he had memorized. The text box disappeared and the blue background was replaced with a screen of tiny pictures against one large pattern. They waited for a while, to see if it needed to do anything else, then Mega Man touched the walkie-talkie.

"Computer? Oh," Mega Man uttered in surprise. His touching of the walkie-talkie had moved a tiny arrow on the screen. Mega Man put the device back down, moving it in circles to test his theory. "It's like a touch-screen interface, but you use this instead of your finger."

He moved the pointer to a folder picture marked 'documents' and clicked a button. The icon turned blue, but nothing else happened. Mega Man tried clicking again several times and a white window opened up, filled with more little pictures neatly arranged.

"Man, how did he ever keep things organized?"

"Try that one," Roll said.

Mega Man clicked on some pictures, and some text appeared. The robots skimmed the words. "Nope," they both said.

Mega Man and Roll systematically opened and closed each text document, trying to find some keys to the mystery. Link got bored and started wandering around, looking at exhibits. One looked like a very tall human until he inspected it further. It was a large gray robot, nicknamed Rex. It was the first to have all three laws successfully programmed into its artificial intelligence. Link thought it looked barely human and barely robot, more like a machine tank. Another was a picture on the wall of Johnny - the first 'talk show' chatbot. Link had no idea what a talk show was. But it sounded similar to something he had seen in the ghost world.

"Wait, I know," Mega Man said. Link walked back over to Mega Man working at the computer. "Here's a recently used file list." He moved the pointer to the lower left corner of the screen and a list appeared. He selected one of the items. "I bet this is it." Mega Man expanded the white document and all three of them looked at it.

"It looks like a journal entry, but it's got a lot of technical elements. Like this schematic here. And the date says it was made close to his arrest," he said as he consulted a gray window listing dates.

"Wait a minute. Go back to that," she said as she leaned in closer.

"See, the creation date says it was made fifteen years ago."

"But look at the access date. It says its last access was... fifteen minutes ago?"

"That means someone's been accessing his files before we were."

"How can that be? The museum sectioned off this part. And they've been keeping security watch on it since then."

"I don't know but someone got to these files before we did. I wish I knew how."

"You guys smell something?" Link asked out of the blue.

"Yeah, something definitely smells fishy about this."

"No, not that. I mean something like smoke."

Mega Man and Roll looked at him curiously for a minute then sniffed the air. Something faintly detected of smoke. "Is there a fire?" Roll asked.

"There! The Computer!" Link said and pointed. Black smoke was wisping out of it in thin strands. Mega Man and Roll bolted upright just as the monitor flickered and blinked out.

"There's too much power. It's overheating!" Mega Man said as he realized his mistake. Computers in this age were designed to handle much less power input, and outlets back then produced much less. The little cooling fan inside could never handle that much heat.

The box suddenly erupted in flames. The monitor flickered and switched to a blue screen, then half-white, half-black.

"Aaah, Roll," Mega Man commanded. "The hard drive's crashing. Do something!"

Link pulled out his ice rod from his backpack without thinking. He aimed the crystal ball at its end at the flames and triggered a stream of ice to come out. Nothing happened. Then he remembered his magic wasn't working here and mentally cursed himself again.

"I'm on it." She held out her hand and a jet stream of steam burst forth. From his vantage, Link felt the temperature and realized it wasn't steam but some sort of icy vapor. The computer's flames died down, leaving it coated in white film and scorched on its corners.

Mega Man said, "Great. Now we'll never know who was on it."

"Roll..." Link uttered quietly. "Spray the computer again."

"Why?"

"Just do it," he said, maintaining his gaze.

Roll held out her hand again and sprayed the computer. Then she saw what Link was seeing. The mist was bouncing off some invisible force standing behind the desk.

"What is that?" Mega Man said.

Link backed up next to Mega Man and withdrew his sword. "It's invisible, whatever it is. And I'm willing to bet it's the thing that accessed the file."

"What's it doing? Just standing there?"

"Is it a statue?"

"I can't get anything on my scanners," Mega Man said. "It's projecting an invisibility cloak. All I'm getting is a power generator." He inspected it further. "Which operates remarkably similar to a lot of advanced designs. But it's just floating there. In space."

"It's got to be attached to a robot," Roll said with resolution. "I wonder..." she poked her finger out and touched where she thought the object was. It bounced back. "It's definitely a robot."

"But why hasn't it skedaddled yet?" Link asked.

"Maybe it's a dumb robot," Roll suggested.

"Well, obviously, if it's just standing there," Link retorted. "Go on. Do something," Link goaded him by brandishing his sword. He was used to enemies making the first move, showing their weakness.

"No, I mean it's 'dumb'. It has no processing capabilities, it just accepts output from some other CPU or controlling device."

"Like the remote for the holo-vid," Mega Man amended.

"So this robot's being controlled by someone else?" Link asked. "No artificial intelligence. And it's just standing there because..."

"Because whoever's controlling it hasn't given it any commands."

"I don't think so," Mega Man said, "This robot came here right before we did. Otherwise it would have escaped. Wouldn't it? You'd think whoever's controlling it would have wanted it to escape as soon as it got the information. I think it whoever's controlling it can't give it commands."

"Why?" Link asked.

"Remote interference? Maybe the tachyon field. It's got to be using some sort of undetectable communication."

"Why isn't it doing anything? It's creeping me out."

"It must be really dumb," Roll mused.

"Let's take it back to the lab, I guess. It'll give us a clue to where Wily is."

"Try talking to it," Roll suggested. "Give it a command."

"Decloak," Mega Man demanded. From his vision, the power generator remained still and no change occurred. "It's probably only set to obey commands from its creator."

"Okay, less talk, more action." Link burst out from behind Roll, swinging his sword horizontally. Suddenly the air rushed around the form of a robot, forming a sort of fluid outline of his humanoid body. It was bounding into the air, almost seeming to hover there for a second, well out of Link's sword range. Then it dive-kicked into Mega Man's stomach, knocking him back into a chair, shattering it.

Roll, gasping in surprise, took out her pistol in a flash, and just as she was about to aim it, felt her legs fly out from beneath her. The foe had sweep-kicked her down, disabling her. Link, acting instinctively, swung around with his sword down low, hoping to catch him in the legs. The horrendous sound of metal screeching against metal erupted, yellow sparks flying out, but did nothing to slow down the robot. The watery outline jumped over the Hylian and sped out the door as fast as a robot could, which was near inhuman speeds. Both Roll and Mega Man were just getting up.

"Definitely a Wily robot," Mega Man said.

"Yeah, they have no problem following the third law."

Mega Man shook his head to clear the cobwebs. "Did you see where he went?"

"Yeah. Away," Link said, as he bent down, looking at the metal shavings where he had sliced the robot's foot. There was nothing but charred crumbs in the scatterings, but Link did find a small tuft of gray-brown hair in the midst. He picked it up.

Mega Man helped Roll up and came over. "Great, now we have no leads, no information, and no idea what Wily's up to."

"And a new enemy to deal with," Roll added.

"It's got to have a weakness. We just need to find it," Mega Man said justly. "What have you got there?" he asked Link.

"Not sure. Robots aren't furry, are they?"

"Not generally."

"Then we might not be at a total loss."

**Next Chapter: Exploring Possibilities**


	10. Chapter 42: Exploring Possibilities

_Chapter 42: Exploring Possibilities_

"It's hair from some sort of rodent," Mega Man said, examining the video screen coming from the microscope. "That much I can tell so far."

"Why would an invisible robot be holding onto rodent hair?" Link asked.

"It's such a small amount I bet he was just carrying it with him. It's long enough to have been shed off."

"So it was stuck on his boot or something," Link interpreted. "No problem. Where is the region with a lot of rodents?"

"Everywhere. Rodents can inhabit any region in the world, city or country." He put a hand to his chin. "Maybe a cross-reference will reveal more information." He used the computer to access files of the natural history museum, bringing up an image of the hair they had gotten with files from the Institute of Natural History.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm comparing samples of rodent hair to our sample."

"You can do that just like that? Jeez, no wonder you're so smart. You have instantaneous access to all the information in the world."

Mega Man had never thought about it like that, but yes, he was lucky to have such fast resources. In Link's time, they were still dependent on books to provide information, and he wasn't sure whether they had even invented a printing press yet. But he never thought Link was dumb, just behind the times. Maybe Link was feeling a bit inadequate in the presence of all this intimidating technology and the sheer number of people around.

"Here," he said. "It's a pocket gopher."

"A gopher? Where do they live?"

"Near everywhere arid. They're small burrowing animals. They mostly live in holes in the ground and come to the surface to look for food or such. The range in which they live is far too vast to be searched."

"Still, it's unusual that a robot would be carrying this," Roll said.

"It is, but it doesn't bring us any closer to our goal of finding where Wily is or what he wants."

"Then we're back to square one?" Link asked.

"I'm afraid so." He shut off the microscope. The fluorescent light dimmed, leaving the room a little darker. "I guess we'll have to go back to our lives as usual until we get something else to go on. Given we have to wait, I'm not sure what else to do."

Roll immediately turned to Mega Man. "Wait, we know where Wily is - in the Antarctic. Why don't we just investigate there for him?"

"We can't make the assumption that he's there. We've only got circumstantial evidence to go on. We can't directly tie him to the tachyon field that went up or the robots along the landscape."

"What about the research base. All those humans. That was him."

"We don't know that for sure. ICPO is investigating the crime scene right now. If they turn up some connection to Wily, then we can go investigate, but until then, we have to wait."

"But he escaped from prison and attacked Dr. Light. That's a crime we can put him in for."

"True, but still, I think we should wait until we figure out Wily's true plans. Just because he sent robots to the Antarctic, doesn't mean he's in the Antarctic, necessarily. He could have easily left as soon as we found out where he was." He picked up the slide containing the hair from the lens of the microscope. "We can continue investigating this. Maybe a DNA sample will reveal something, but I doubt it. We already know what it is."

"Maybe Wily keeps a pet gopher," Link said.

"I highly doubt it. Wily would rather have a cold battle robot in his lap than a kitty."

"What about a gopher pelt?"

"No one wears gopher pelts. They would be expensive, not very warm, and very few people wear real fur these days."

"You said they're burrowing animals. Maybe it came from underground."

"It could have blown in the wind 1800 miles for all we know."

"So we really can't make any guesses about where it came from."

"Unfortunately, true. I think we've hit a wall."

The three of them stood staring at the image of the filaments on the monitor.

"Well," Roll stood up, frustrated but complacent. "There's plenty of housekeeping to do. Guess I'll go do that."

"You might want to turn down the guest room for Link."

"Right," she sighed.

_Roll,_ Mega Man communicated to his sister, _don't get belligerent. You still have duties to perform when you're not out saving the world. Just cause you got an upgrade doesn't mean you're better than what you were now._

_I'm not mad, I just feel like we should be doing something other than sitting on our butts. We could look for him._

_It's not that small of a world yet, Roll. Scouring the entire world for him could take weeks. He's one man among billions. Sooner or later, he's going to rear his head. That's when we'll get him._

_All right, just as long as you don't exclude me from joining you._

_No problem,_ Mega Man smiled inwardly. _I know you didn't get all dressed up for nothing._

_Thanks, Rock._ She left the room, leaving her brother and Link in the science lab.

"Roll will prepare a bed for you tonight," Mega Man told him.

"All right. Thanks for letting me stay here."

"Well, we certainly wouldn't put you in a hotel for the night," he smiled.

"So what's this DNA stuff?"

"DNA is a nucleic acid found in all living cells. Well, essentially, they're the building blocks of all life. They're 'blueprints'. They carry information on how to build life, all the characteristics that you have, like hair color, eye color, the structure of your nose, and so on. Here's a picture." He brought up a quick sample picture of a DNA molecule, strategically neglecting to tell him it was gleaned from a children's science textbook. It looked like a colorful corkscrew ladder.

"So this is what makes up all life?"

"It's the key to all life. It's what makes all the differentiations in life. But it's microscopic. You won't be able to see it with just the naked eye."

"Oh, I'll have to tell that to the royal wizard when I get back home."

"I doubt you could see it. Even if you've invented the microscope it won't be powerful enough to see DNA."

"Oh, I don't know. He probably has some sort of magnifying glass spell."

Mega Man decided to keep his mouth shut, and let Link continue his childlike wandering, jumping from question to question. It was the best way for him to learn.

"So," Link continued, "Could you use alchemy on the DNAs. I mean, could you mix and match it? Like could you put a duck bill on a cow?"

"Yes. That would be a weird use of genetics, but yes. Except that making genetic alterations by private citizens was ruled illegal in the Sydney convention some decades ago."

"Why?"

"It was considered immoral and contradictory to natural evolution. Basically people were scared they were messing in something they weren't supposed to be messing with. They thought we should let nature take its course and not force evolution. There were a few exceptions though. Like using genetics to be able to grow limbs back."

"I see. I wonder if that's how Ganondorf makes his monsters. Through some sort of genetic alchemy."

Mega Man sat back and regarded Link. "You know, I must say, you are remarkably receptive to all these new ideas that are being thrown at you."

"Well, you have to be in my line of work - professional adventurer," Link said with fake hubris. "It wouldn't do very well if I went into a town and then hated everyone for their different way of life or for doing things I don't agree with." He played with his belt, tightening and loosening it. "I think that's some of why Hyrule depends on me so much. I've got an open mind, willing to think of new ideas and possibilities. Those temples weren't designed with the common man in mind. Everyone else is kinda stuck in their ways."

"That's for sure," Mega Man said as he thought of the puzzle he barely got out of under the forest.

"Of course, I wasn't so willing to accept you at first. Heck, when you first came down, I thought you were human. I didn't understand what a robot was, no matter how many times you tried to explain it to me."

"Well, I mean, you're adapting better than I did. Remember that fight in the bar?"

"Well, that was just because you weren't used to the subtleties of Hyrule society, like don't mess with the card club."

"Or when I tried to cook that animal."

"Okay, that... no, there's no excuse for that," he laughed. "Although, I guess there is, if your food comes instantaneously from the wall from somewhere. You've probably forgotten how to cook."

"Roll got all the cooking skills, since she's the housekeeper. I'm the tool-user."

"So you do fixing and things?"

"And help Dr. Light in the laboratory."

"Could you ask Roll to cook something for me sometime? I'd like to see what meals from the wall are like."

"Sure. She'll be making breakfast for you tomorrow. I'll ask her to make something good."

"Thanks." Link looked up at the image of the gopher fur still on the monitor. "Say, you have a lot of equipment here, right?"

"Yes."

"Then maybe you can help me with something."

"Sure."

"Why is it," he pulled out his ice rod, "This won't work?"

"What is it?"

"It's an ice rod. It shoots a sub-zero blast of air to freeze things. I tried using it, but it's not working. Like all my other magic weapons."

"I told you. I don't think magic exists in this world."

Link laughed it off. "That's like saying air doesn't exist in the world. Magic is not something quantifiable. It's all around us. It's natural energy. It doesn't just go away. For extreme uses of magic, you need magic potion so you have more natural energy about you."

Mega Man decided not to tell him that air does not, in fact, exist in all worlds. "What you think of as magic is probably some element that exists in your world and not in ours that allows you to do things that seem supernatural. If I knew more about it scientifically, I could theorize better. How do you get it to work?"

"Well, you just point it at something and fire it using your mind. I'm not sure how to explain it. You just will it to do whatever it is it does. My lantern works the same way, it can produce a small flare if you put a little magic powder in it. It's not much good for anything but lighting torches."

Mega Man had initially shrugged off Link's claims of magic, and hadn't given much thought to how it would work, since he didn't have that capacity. But still, there was an opportunity here to learn something about the elements of a different world. A lot of scientists would like to get something like this under the scope. They didn't have many opportunities like this. Dr. Light would be disappointed if he didn't take advantage of it, as long as Link was here. "Well, I'll give it a try. Give it to me."

Link handed him the wand. Mega Man took an inspector's look at it. The scepter consisted of a thick, metal cylindrical rod, tabbed in blue at the heel, and tapering down to a thin bar, connecting the shaft to a pointed blue diamond at the tip. It seemed like a typical staff used by wizards in fantasy stories.

"I'll try putting it under the compositor, and use the material composition filter." Mega Man took the rod over to another machine in the room. This one had two large metal boxes, one hanging from the ceiling, the other implanted in the ground. Mega Man slipped the ice rod in the thin opening, placing it on the clear white lit surface. Then he brought up the console and typed some commands in. The box from the ceiling whirred loudly as it lowered closer to the wand. Finally he pushed a green button, and a bar of light swept slowly over the white surface the rod was lying on.

Link was hopeful this could provide some clues, maybe give him the key to activating his magic weapons in this world. Maybe magic was just done differently here. Maybe instead of willing it, you had to apply some sort of catalyst, or use a talisman, or something. Magic was one of the few advantages Link had over the robot. If he could get his weapons to work, he could fight along Mega Man's side. But until then, he was dead weight.

The display in front of the two started listing lines of text one after the other. Mega Man read them off. "The shaft is composed of iron... nickel... the crystal is... clear quartz... and indigo dye."

"What... what does that mean?"

"There's nothing in this rod that can't be found... well, anywhere." In fact, if Mega Man didn't know better, he'd say Link bought this in a cheap occult bookstore. "I could make something like this myself, given the materials."

"So you're saying..."

"There's nothing abnormal about it. Nothing 'magical'. It's just a scepter."

"No, no, that's not true. I've used this thing before. I know it works."

"I'm not saying it doesn't work. I'm just saying it doesn't work here. I can't find anything that would make it do what you say it would."

"Well, um, how about another scanner?"

"I can't think of any scanners that would yield more information."

"Well," Link scratched the back of his head. "Maybe when I went through the portal, some of the materials changed. Like it got transposed into the materials it would be made out of in this world."

"I didn't change when I went through," Mega Man said matter-of-factly. "And I'm composed of elements that don't exist in your world." He handed him back the rod.

Link looked at it forlornly. "Well, maybe I'm just not doing something right. I just need to concentrate. I need to find out what's different here. There's no lack of magic, I'll tell you that. It can't just go away."

Mega Man didn't want to get into an argument. "Well, it's of little consequence now. Your bed should be made up. I'll take you there."

Mega Man led Link through the house and stopped at the door to the guest bedroom. The door parted in two to let them in.

"Just finished," Roll said from her position of turning down the bed sheets.

Link's eyes widened at the sight of the luxurious accommodations. "This is nicer than the king's bedchamber," he exclaimed as he walked in, spreading his arms to feel the space. Mega Man thought the room was rather sparse as far as bedrooms were concerned. There was just a chest of drawers, nightstand, and bed, plus one door leading to the adjoining bathroom and one leading to the closet.

Link sat down on the bed. "Whoa, this feels like a cloud." He laid back on it, spreading his arms. He sighed in relaxation.

"I stocked the bathroom with some bedtime supplies you might need, like a toothbrush, hairbrush. And if you need anything, just tell the computer to open a comm line to Rock or myself."

"Mmmmm," Link said. "Okay."

"Okay," Mega Man said, "Good night."

"Night," he said lazily.

The doors closed, leaving Link in the dark, enjoying the comfort of the guest bed. He rubbed his hands above his head. Suddenly, he felt some strangely hard plastic object, disjointing him from his trance. He pulled himself up and looked at the device, but it was too dark to see.

"Turn on lights?" Link asked, not sure if that was the right command. Apparently, it was. The room lit up to daylight proportions. The little block was a white box attached to something under the bed with a plastic cord. Link tried tugging on it, but it didn't yield. He was afraid to rip it out, for fear of breaking something. There was a black side to it, though, under which were two small bumps with a plus and minus. As he felt the buttons, the black part lit with two numbers out of red lines. Link tried pushing the plus again, and the number increased by one. Pushing it several times kept increasing the number. Minus decreased the number. Since he had no idea what this did, he tried setting it back to what it was before, but he couldn't remember what that was. So he set it to the lowest number he could get - thirty-four. Link had never seen a bed that needed turning on before. He got up and looked around elsewhere.

He recognized the chest of drawers, but there were no handles on it. How was he supposed to open it. He touched one of the drawers and it popped open. It must have responded to sensation. Very interesting. What else was there?

He entered what looked like another door in the bedroom. It pulled apart, revealing an extremely white room with no furniture, and nothing soft. He cautiously entered, seeing a basin in the middle of a counter. Maybe this was the washroom. No sooner had he brought his hands to the faucet, than water started streaming down into the drain. He pulled his hand back and the water stopped. He put his hand in, water began. He pulled it out, water stopped. The sink knew when he wanted to use it, and when not to. That was extremely creepy. He didn't like the house knowing what he was doing.

Next to the sink were two brushes and a tube-like item. He picked up the tube and examined it. It was colored red and blue, and had some writing on it that made no sense, but there was a picture of a woman smiling toothily. The tube had a button near the end, though, so he experimentally pushed that. A small amount of some thick blue cream excreted out, with a fairly minty smell. He sniffed it closer and took a taste. It was a very strong minty gel, and it tasted pretty good and gave him fresh breath. Maybe it was a nightly tradition to eat this before bedtime. Link took a larger squeeze's worth in his mouth and set it down.

There was also a large brush and tiny brush. The large one was obviously meant for hair. The tiny one was meant for... tiny hair? A mustache brush? They had some strange bathroom habits in this place. Link decided not to use the tiny brush for what he thought it was meant for and picked up the hairbrush.

That gel was so good he took one more shot and then set it down. He threw his green cap on the bed and looked around a bit more as he brushed his hair. There was a very large basin in the other side of the room. It looked like a bathtub, but modernized, with a faucet like what would be found in a sink. At the dead end of the room was a stall enveloped in frosted glass. Link stepped in, after taking one more nip of gel, and examined the empty tiled space. There was nothing on the smooth, clean walls except for two dials on either side of a panel and a large spigot high up on the wall. Link looked at the dials and turned the right one. Icy cold water started streaming out of the large spigot. Link nearly broke the glass trying to escape the invigorating blast, bounding out of the stall, breathing heavily. It was like being under the ice rod.

Figuring he should leave it as it was, he rolled up his sleeve and put his hand into the stall, turning back the dial. The water dwindled to a drip and shut off.

It was a mystery to Link why there were three sinks of different sizes in the room. Wouldn't one big one be enough? Couldn't that accommodate all the needs. All you really needed was a bath, and maybe a basin filled with water. Maybe they had to do laundry in this room as well.

Anyway, Link exited the bathroom, deciding not to try anything else in the room, taking the blue cream with him, if he felt like a snack later. He pulled off his partially wet tunic and stripped down to his underwear. "No lights," he declared. The room's illumination dimmed to pitch black. Stretching his arms one last time with a large yawn, he slipped under the covers, finding them a bit chilly, but thick, and promptly went to sleep.

**Next Chapter: The World of Tomorrow**


	11. Chapter 43: The World of Tomorrow

_Chapter 43: The World of Tomorrow_

Link stirred out of consciousness, having no idea what time it was or how long he'd been asleep. There were no windows in his room, so he thought it was still dark. Still half-asleep, he tugged on the covers to pull them back over his shoulders and return to dreamland.

It felt like someone short-sheeted the bed. He kept tugging on the sheets, but they wouldn't budge. Then he tried to turn his body upright, and found he couldn't do that either. Something was pressing him down, laying on his torso. His senses woke up with a start and he lifted himself up. There was something big and heavy laying on him. He tried to kick it off as he yelped "Lights!"

The room illuminated and Link saw a big red thing lift off his legs and fall over the bed. Link, still in his long underwear, dove out on the other side of the bed, falling on his butt.

He hastily stood up and crept over to the other side, keeping his head leaned out, and light on his feet, ready to jump straight up to heaven if needed.

A black nose poked out from around the bed, followed by a snout and then a whole head. It looked a dog in the face, but it had a red helmet like Mega Man's, including twitching ears. Its body was bulbous and its legs rotated on joints attached to metal rods. It looked like what Mega Man would resemble if he was a dog... and red.

It was wagging its tail though, and its large eyes looked expressively happy at Link. He held out his hand and Rush delicately sniffed it, as a normal dog would when meeting someone new. The dog recognized him as friendly and panted. Link tried petting him, but all he felt was the eerily distressing sensation of scratching metal. The dog seemed to like it though.

"Robot dogs," Link mused to himself, "Are humans the only natural things in this world?" He stood up. "Wonder if there's going to be a time when they won't be needed."

With no windows, and feeling well-rested, Link surmised that it was morning, and subsequently, time to get up. He put back on his clothes, equipping all his necessaries, as was his habit. The dog stood there, walked around a bit, following Link, acting remarkably like a normal dog did. It jumped on the bed, pawed at the sheets and then nuzzled down to rest. Link kept his eye on it the whole time, a little cautious since his surprise introduction to this animal, or robot.

Finished with dressing, he approached the door, it slid open. This alerted the dog, who stood up and panted happily.

"You... want to go out?" Link asked.

The dog barked quietly in response.

"Okay, boy, er, girl, er, whatever, come on." Link patted his leg as he would if he called to a normal dog. The robot canine jumped down and followed Link out of the room.

The Hylian, accompanied by the mutt, wandered down the halls. Dawn was breaking, he could see from the corridor windows. He wasn't really sure what he was looking for, besides maybe Mega Man or Roll, to find out what there was to do today. The excitement of being in this strange world was one he could barely keep in check. Just the fact he was walking with an artificial dog would be enough to keep Hyrule Castle in rapt attention. Just exploring all the nuances of this manor would be enough to keep his curiosity satisfied for the rest of his days, pending he didn't accidentally flood it with ice cold water.

Link heard some light scuffling nearby and headed towards the sound. There was a distinct crackling, sparking going on as he turned the corner. He found himself in the kitchen again, where there was a boy kneeling next to the counter, holding a small stick that was giving off sparks and wearing a blank metal mask.

"Who're you?" Link asked.

The boy, startled, looked up at him and took off his cover. Link realized it was Mega Man, only wearing casual clothes. His helmet was off, showing his tussled brown hair, and he was wearing a white t-shirt and black shorts, but his large blue eyes gave him away. It was a little disconcerting to see him like this. He was indistinguishable from a normal boy.

"Oh, I didn't recognize you without your armor," Link said. "You're rather busy for it being this early in the morning."

"The dishwasher needed some tweaking in the wiring. I've been making repairs all night. I don't sleep, remember?"

"Oh, that's right. So you've been fixing stuff up all night?"

"Sure, it's what I do. The house suffered some damage before I left. Most of it got cleaned up, but there are still a few adjustments and modifications that are needed. There always are in a house of this size."

"You don't ever stop working do you."

"Not unless there's no work to do."

Link imagined Mega Man working day in and day out, never getting sleep, never getting rest, never stopping. True that he didn't need to sleep, but did that mean he didn't need to relax either? Didn't he get to play? Read a book? Anything fun? He knew Mega Man said that robots were intelligent tools for getting a job done, but this was bordering a very fine line in Link's eyes. The robot was as human as anyone Link had ever seen. 'It's not slavery,' Mega Man had told him, but could he even see the forest for the trees?

Mega Man rocked back on his knees and stood up. The red dog came out from behind Link's legs. "Ah, I see you've met Rush," the robot said.

"Rush? Yeah, the little pupper nearly scared me half to death."

"Aww, Rush just wanted a friend, didn't you, Rushy." Mega Man dropped to one knee and played with the dog's head roughly, scratching him behind the ears. Rush loved it, lolling his tongue out from side to side as his owner of similar composition played with him. It was an interesting scene, two metal beings bonding.

"I'm beginning to see where you got your affection for Buzzy from," Link commented.

"Who's Buzzy?" Roll said as she came in from the other end of the kitchen, drying her hands with a towel.

"Oh, just a friend we made in Hyrule."

"Oh. Sorry I haven't had time to make you breakfast yet. I just got finished. I'll get started on it now."

"No rush," Link said.

The dog looked up at him and whined, thinking it had done something wrong.

"No, no, not you, I mean, no hurry."

Roll got started by bringing out pots and pans, while Link sat down with Mega Man. "So what's the point of having a robot dog?"

"Well, it's good for families that have allergies to pets, but still want one. But in my case, Rush is also a battle companion. Dr. Light put in some modifications to help with my mobility around Dr. Wily's fortresses. Watch." Mega Man stood up and back. "Jet, Rush."

Rush hunkered down, flattening out his back. His legs dropped to his sides and he scrunched up to make himself flat. His tail and hind-end shifted out of the way to make room for a engine turbine, which ignited, causing him to hover above the floor.

"That's pretty nifty."

"He's got a few other forms too. Dr. Light's been experimenting as well. He's made an adapter chip so Rush and I can combine to give me super-strength or flying ability. Oh, and he can roll over."

"Uh-huh." Link stood back up, looked around the room for a moment. "So what's on the agenda for today?"

"Well..." Mega Man scratched his head, thinking of something for Link to do.

"Hey, Rock," Roll said as she came out of the pantry holding two eggs. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" She gave him a knowing eye.

"Mm, yeah, good point. You could use some casual clothes. Those don't exactly fit today's standard."

Link held out his tunic, examining it. "What, my clothes?"

"Well, you're going to need something as long as you're here. You need to fit in, and what you're wearing now won't exactly be it."

Having the chance to think about it, Link did realize the clothes he was wearing, made of animal skins and textiles, probably wouldn't be what these people would be wearing. They probably had robot clothing that could move your arms for you.

"Might be a good idea."

"Did you take a shower last night?" Mega Man asked.

"No. Wait, was that what that stall was? The one with the rain spout?"

"Yes," Mega Man surmised.

"No way, I touched one of those dials, the water came out icy cold. I would have gotten hypothermia."

"The dials are there to control the temperature of the water, one is hot, one is cold. You have to adjust them both to get the temperature you want."

"Oh."

"Or you can use the bath. It works the same."

"Is that the big basin? That's what I thought it was, but I wasn't sure if it was for laundry too."

"Okay, why don't you go do that, and by then breakfast will be ready," Roll said. "Soap is on the tray next to the wall."

Link nodded affirmatively and left the room. Rush's metal paws clip-clopped after him.

"Good thinking," Rock said once he was out of earshot. "Nice tact on that."

"Yeah, he couldn't get within a mile of the mall before the humans would pass out."

"Yeah, good thing for him we're robots."

* * *

Roll couldn't help but think how much Link looked like a child as he glued his eyes to the window, with his fingers perched on the edge, watching the ground below him, spackled with microscopic hover-cars zooming in perpendicular lines beneath him.

The hover-cab climbed higher in the sky. Roll explained to Link that this was like the car they took to the train station, but the purpose of a taxicab was to convey passengers around the city for money. Link compared it to the king's private coach. Mega Man was taking their own car to the police and investigation center, known as the 'constabulary' to Link, to discuss the matters at the ice station and the whereabouts and intentions of the mysterious Dr. Wily. It was essentially a clue comparing session, and neither Roll nor Link needed to go to this. This presented a terrific opportunity for the Hylian to explore downtown and get some new modern clothes.

"So where're you heading to in the mall?" the cab driver, a Caucasian male, asked with a rather acerbic accent. "Going to see the concert?"

"No," Roll said, unaware and uncaring that there was a concert, "We're going shopping for clothes."

"Sears is having a fall sale. 40 percent off all marked brands."

"40 off? You mean the prices are nearly cut in half!" Link gasped.

"Correct," the cab driver said.

"Roll, we should go there," Link turned to her and pleaded.

"Don't worry. Every store has a sale now. They're trying to get rid of fall inventory."

"With the deals this good," the cab driver said, "You'd better hurry in, before it's all gone."

Link pointed to the cab driver, with surprise in his eyes and a muffled yelp that Roll wasn't taking advantage of deals like this. Roll just sat back and rolled her eyes.

"You're not from around here, are you?" the cab driver said.

"Nope."

"Where're you from?"

"Hyrule."

"You pullin' my chain, boy? Where're you from?"

"No, I'm from Hyrule."

"And where exactly is Hyrule?"

"Well, um..." Link wasn't sure how to describe where he came from in relation to this world. He could say he came through a mysterious vortex, but Link thought that would sound weird, even for this world.

Roll interrupted before the Hylian said something even more outlandish. "He's from out of town. Hyrule's a new military academy, probably not entered into your data table yet."

"Oh... well, enjoy your stay here. I recommend... getting new clothes for the town."

"Yeah, that's what we're trying to fix," Roll said. She had tastefully used Link's long hair to cover his pointed elf-like ears. It probably wouldn't have raised any eyebrows if they were seen in public, but just in case...

The cab driver continued, "If you're looking for accessories, Hikari's is the place to go. There's a variety of brand names, value-priced items, and cosmetics to fashion-aware teens."

"Waaaait," Link said, with trepidation in his voice. "Are you a subtle advertiser?"

"He's a cab-driver," Roll said. "All public servants are programmed to give spiels and blurbs. It's part of how the company affords them."

"Programmed? You mean...?"

Link peeked over the driver's chair. The cabbie, who was indistinguishable from a human, was nothing more than a torso with arms, impaled on a thick metal pole implanted in the car seat.

"He's a robot," Link asked Roll, no longer mindful of the cab driver.

"Of course. Cab driving is a dangerous profession. But no one holds up a robot, no one hurts or kidnaps a robot."

"I feel a little ill," Link said.

"There's a biohazard bag in the pocket in the back of the car seat if you need it," the cabbie thoughtfully said, apparently oblivious of their conversation.

Link tried to look at the buildings passing in the front windshield. "When Mega Man said robots were used for jobs too dangerous for humans I thought he meant construction and mining."

"They're used for that too. Here." She bent down to the floor of the cab and inserted a card below. A panel opened up, displaying a selection of colorful rectangles. Still gripping the card, she pressed one of the pink ones. A section next to the card slid away, revealing a pink and white canister.

"Thank you for your purchase," the robot driver said.

She pulled a small tab-like lever on the top of the canister and gave it to Link. "Here, drink this."

Link, wanting to quell his aching stomach, not only from the revelation but the flying, took a great big gulp of the liquid without hesitation. It was sweet and bubbly, with a hint of mint and lime. After two more great swallows he tipped his head back up and smacked his sugary lips.

"Mmm, not bad."

He rotated the can in his hand, examining the pretty labeling on it. There was some tiny fine print on one side. He took another sip as he rotated it the other way. In vertical letters were the words 'Fairy Juice'.

"Pbbbttbt!" was the sound Link made as he sprayed out the pink potion all over the driver's dashboard.

"Hey!" he uttered.

Link turned to Roll. "What are you, some kind of sick cannibal?"

"What? What's wrong?"

"You expect me to drink this?" he practically shoved the can in her face, wiping his mouth and tongue with his other hand. "You're disgusting. I can't believe you make a drink out of fairies. Argh, their healing powers aren't enough for you?" He imagined fairies being put in a Cuisinart, innocently flying around, until someone started turning the crank.

Roll said, "Oh, this is not a drink made out of fairies."

Link paused. "It's not?"

"No. That's just the name. Fairies are mythical. It's just what they call the drink, to appeal to a younger generation. Essentially, it's just flavored water."

"Really?" Link took another look at the can. It clearly read fairy juice on the label. "Then these aren't the spells used to extract the fairy's magicks?"

"Sodium benzoate? No, those are the ingredients. It's mostly water, sugar, flavoring, and coloring."

"You sure?" Link asked. He didn't want to be taking part in necromancy.

Roll nodded.

Link took another cautious sip. It tasted pretty good, not like fairy innards. "Sorry about that," he said to the driver.

"No problem," he said, rolling his eyes, using a free hand to wipe off his windshield. The cab dipped down off the flying freeway and descended close to a large flat crystal building. They slid along the ground, pulling up to one side where there was a large concrete arena where people were milling about.

Roll and Link slid out of the vehicle. Roll handed him her cash-card, which he took inserted into a slot and then withdrew. "Thank you for choosing Kaufman Cabs. Have a pleasant day at the South Point mall and remember their upcoming 'deal days'." He rolled the window back up and flew off.

"Why is everyone trying to sell me something?" Link mused.

"That's just the way it is here. Advertising pays for a significant portion of commercial products. I just got a message from Rock."

Link took a few seconds to process this non sequitir. "Wha... what?"

"Rock, Mega Man sent me a message from downtown. We can communicate with each other wirelessly."

"Is 'wirelessly' like telepathy. I'm familiar with that."

"It is similar to that. He said he's still in the meetings, but he's finishing up. They didn't find a trace of Wily at the ice station. But they're not unconvinced it was Wily."

"What in the world does that mean?"

"It means they still think Wily did it, even though they have no evidence directly linking them. There was nothing conclusive on the gopher fur DNA either. Except there were some dirt particles recovered that match soil in the New Mexico - Arizona region. That's in a arid/desert zone."

"So basically, we don't really know anything more than we did before."

"Yes, it looks like that."

"Damn, why don't we just make our own investigation? All you guys do is have meetings and research. Why don't we just use some action?"

"You're right. In this world, you have to do a lot of paper-signing before you are allowed to do anything, otherwise courts could easily rule that what you did was a violation of a right guaranteed in the constitution, and everything you did would be for nothing. It wasn't always like this, but over years and years, so many exceptions had to be allowed for different circumstances that you need to ask a lot of permissions, and that takes time."

"I'm going to make sure Hyrule never gets that way."

"Nonetheless, we have to wait, and while we wait, we need to get you some clothes. Come on." Roll took him up to a black block in the middle of the concrete. There was a large screen in the middle of a pillar sticking out of the pavement. Roll touched some points on the screen. "I'm just looking up where the best deals are according to what you need. I need to consult the fashion catalog for young men. See what will fit you. It'll just take a few minutes."

Link nodded and turned away, looking out at the crowd. He could tell what he was supposed to wear just from looking at the passers-by. Weird stuff. Some were wearing rings around their head, some with patterned t-shirts, cuffed pants with strange pointy things coming out of the knee. And that was just the men. The women's clothes couldn't even be described, but there was definitely a lot of variety. All women in his era wore dresses of neutral colors - brown, green, earth tones. Most couldn't afford the expensive bright dyes that were better suited to upper class citizens. And for all castes, the clothes covered them head to toe. He couldn't believe these women weren't shivering to death. It was nearly embarrassing to look at, but somehow he couldn't turn his eyes away. To prevent from being accused of staring, he tried looking around in the distance

A small, round robot with a wide, disc-like bottom was rolling down the sidewalk's edge a little way's down. Link could see it had some sort of spinning brush on its underside and it was cleaning the gutters of litter. Its appearance was thankfully humanless, more like a rounded camera with a lens poking out and two tiny claw-like arms.

One of the citizens crossing the walk got too close to the robot's brush and stepped on it. The centrifugal force sent the robot spinning forward, rotating around into the man's knees. It stopped itself before it rammed them, but the man kept walking and banged his foot into it.

"Hey, watch it," the man yelped. With an angry grimace he flipped his foot up and kicked the little guy over. He passed on by the now helpless robot, lying in the corner of the gutter, flailing its little arms and running its treads.

Link immediately ran over to the street-cleaning bot, now as feeble as a turtle. "I gotcha," he said. He darted his hands in and out, trying to time it so the flailing claws wouldn't hurt him. Its lens eye rotated back and forth, whirring mechanically. Link managed to grab it and set the bot down in front of him gently. "There you go."

Its panic stopped. Its arms remained still and its head stopped moving back and forth in denial of its situation. Once it settled, it continued moving along, seemingly ignorant of what just happened, its brush whirring and cleaning up debris.

"You're welcome," Link said with a little sarcasm.

**Next Chapter: Got Item**


	12. Chapter 44: Got Item

_Chapter 44: Got Item_

"So I'm wandering all around this maze, no idea where I'm going. The only thing I have to guide myself by is the occasionally breaks in the canopy. I might as well have my eyes closed. And, all of a sudden, I feel something following me. But I can't really see it since it's so dark. It just feels like there's something following me. So finally I find the way out, and my eyes are burning from the sunlight. And then I turn around, and there's this monkey behind me," Link declared, moving his arms in fantastic fashion to illustrate his story.

Link was sitting on top of the table, with Roll adjusting the new beaded choker on his neck. She was attentively listening to Link's story while in the middle of one of the laboratories in the basement. They had just finished dressing him in his new apparel, which consisted of a light blue shirt hanging loosely off his torso, emblazoned with the symbol of the manufacturer, which Roll said didn't show a false allegiance to a different king, and some tan canvas pants. His trusty holding bag was still around his waist though.

Link continued. "So, obviously, I was a little surprised. It's not every day monkeys follow me around. But then this guy says," he raised his voice to a higher pitch, "'I'm KiKi the monkey! I love rupees more than anything! Can you spare me ten rupees?'"

"It spoke?"

"Yeah, I was surprised too. But, later, I figured it was some guy who got lost in the Dark World and became transformed. Although he sure must have adapted pretty well. He sure convinced me he was a monkey. There were a lot of stranger things in the Dark World. But anyway, so there's this panhandling monkey in front of me, asking me for ten rupees."

"What would it do with rupees?"

"I have no idea, but I figure, I had about 300 on me, and didn't know if I'd ever find a shop again or need money, so I gave him the ten rupees. And then he says, and all the time he's making this weird high-pitched squeak, 'Good choice! Now I will follow you around for awhile.' So now I got this monkey following me everywhere."

Roll finished adjusting the choker's size and pulled out the chair to sit down and listen to the rest of the story. Link was trying his best to get Roll laughing. Maybe the story just wasn't funny enough, maybe humor was different here. Still, it wasn't really meant to be laugh-out-loud funny, just a humorous anecdote while they were waiting for Mega Man to come back. And she was smiling.

"And he's following me everywhere. I'm trying to take down some Armos Knights bouncing around, trying to spear me, and he's just standing there, smiling." Link did the imitation of a complacent KiKi, sitting and waiting. "And I'm chucking my boomerang over and over as hard as I can." He motioned throwing a boomerang over and over. "And I'm like 'hello, is this all the help I get for ten rupees?' And he's just smiling there."

Roll nodded, encouraging him to go on. Link said, "So, I get up to the palace, and the door's completely shut. No doorknob, no keyhole. Nothing I can find. So the monkey, who's been standing there, hasn't said a word while I've been fending off practically an army, and he says 'If you pay me a hundred rupees, I'll open the door for you.' Now, ten rupees wasn't a big deal, but a hundred, I wasn't sure I could part with so easily. But I thought about it, figured I didn't really have a choice, and he climbs up to the roof and presses on the switch that opens the door." Link shrugged. "If I didn't find that monkey, or he didn't find me, rather, I wouldn't have been able to get into the temple. So... who knows."

"What happened to the monkey?"

"I have no idea. Maybe he opened up a shop with all the money I gave him. Kiki's Temple-Opening Emporium."

The doors opened then, and Mega Man entered, still wearing civilian clothing, holding a few green circuit chips and a rolled up scroll under his arm.

"What are those for?" Roll asked, squinching an eyebrow curiously.

"New upgrade. Dr. Light designed it from the hospital. I just put together the hardware."

"Dr. Light is letting you upgrade me? I dunno..." she said in mock sarcasm. "I don't know if I like having my brother messing around with my circuits. What if you give me the A.I. of a goat?"

"Oh, Roll, you know I'd do something much worse if I was gonna mess around. Besides the upgrade's not for you. Well, sort of."

"It's not? Then who's it for? Link?"

Link looked up with scared eyes, not willing to get torn apart and have metal put inside him.

"It's for Tango."

Suddenly, the door shot open and a green cat barreled into the room, being chased by Rush, barking all the while. Link tucked his feet up. The animals started circling Roll's chair, nearly making her fall over.

"Rush!" Mega Man called out. "Bad! Stop chasing her! Bad dog!"

Rush skidded to a stop at Roll's feet. The cat jumped onto the table next to Link, and started casually walking around like it owned the place and it hadn't just been frantically chased. Link looked at it closer. He noticed, as it started to lick its paw, it was a robot cat. It even had the same model helmet as Rush and Mega Man, and striped hindquarters and a tail.

"Is there anything here that's not a robot?" Link asked. "Do you even have robotic goldfish?"

"Sure. But those look more lifelike. Come here, Tango." Mega Man patted his hand and snapped his fingers. Tango ignored him.

"It doesn't work," Link commented.

"No, just Dr. Light was too good designing cat A.I. Tango, come here," he said more forcefully.

Tango, the cat, sauntered to the edge of the table where Mega Man was waiting for her and gazed straight ahead, seemingly bored. Mega Man, while waiting for Tango to decide if she was too good for listening to his commands, handed the scroll to Link. "And this is for you."

"What is it?" He took the thick scroll that felt like flat rubber.

"It's a bio on Dr. Wily. You were saying how it's important to know your enemy."

"Oh, yeah, thanks." Link opened up the thick paper as Rush pawed the ground and laid at Link's feet. The text on it was like a screen, finer than any ink he'd encountered. It was crisp and clear. He started reading. "Dr. Albert W. Wily was born in twenty-blah-dee-blah..." He mumbled off as he tried to read fast, memorizing the words by moving his lips. He wanted to get back in the action as soon as possible, not spend time reading.

"Okay, Tango. Open up," Mega Man commanded. "Come on, open up. Lie down. Do something I say. Please?"

Tango, after a few seconds of thinking about it, laid down on her stomach and flipped open a panel covering her back.

"Good kitty."

"So this is going to make Tango for me, like Rush is for you?" Roll said with delighted excitement.

"Yep, I think so. All we need to do is install this transformation chip and a few others. And this one needs to go inside you as well," he said, holding up various chips and boards. "It's a simple procedure. We're keeping her buzzsaw functions, just adding on new mobility feature. Dr. Light told me to keep it a surprise for you."

"Hmmph," Roll smirked.

"But he said you'd like it. It'll come in handy." Mega Man peered down inside Tango's dark body cavity and poked around, looking for an empty expansion slot, holding up an adjustment tool.

Meanwhile, Link perused the scroll. The biography was long and arduously written. If Wily had an ordinary past, there wouldn't have been nearly as much information. It went on and on about his childhood, the schools he grew up in, the education he received. None of that mattered. It was all robot schools that Link had no reference for. He'd never given extensive interviews, only a few scant blurbs for robotics magazines here and there, so the information was sketchy, and some things contradicted others. It looked like Wily had not been thinking straight for a while.

Then the page ended in the middle of a sentence. Link looked on the back, but there was nothing but textured squares, criss-crossed with green lines.

"Uh, Mega Man, where's the next scroll?"

"What next scroll?"

"Well, this thing just ended in the middle of the sentence."

"Touch that arrow on the bottom," he said with his fingers twiddling around deep in Tango's body.

Link saw a small arrowhead pointing to the bottom of the scroll below the text. He pressed it with his thumb and the words suddenly started moving off the page. Link yelped in fright and threw the scroll in the air.

Roll and Mega Man looked up from their work. "What's wrong?"

"The words are moving. I thought you had no magic in this world."

"It's just a roll-up screen. You load some data on it and you can take it anywhere. People use it for reading the news on the bus, for example. You use the arrows to scroll through the text," Mega Man said as he picked up the sheet and handed it back to Link, who took it cautiously. He trained his eyes back on the words and kept reading.

Mega Man returned to Tango and switched tools, putting in an electric screwdriver. "Okay, that should be it for Tango." He closed the back panel. The robo-cat opened its eyes and stood up again. It jumped off the table and went to play with Rush at Link's feet.

"Okay, all we need is to put this in," he said as he held up a board. "It's your connection interface to Tango."

_Hey, Rock,_ Roll said as she offered up her arm and Rock opened a panel. _Did you talk to Dr. Light at all about the transporter?_

_Not really. He said he won't be able to do anything about it until he gets back and has a chance to look at the damage._

_What if he can't fix it? What if Link has to stay in this world forever?_

Rock stopped for a moment and took a look at Link. He had stopped reading the bio, taking a moment to play with Rush and Tango on the floor, dangling a piece of string in front of the cat. If they couldn't get Link back to Hyrule, life would go on for him. He had shown he was easily adaptable to most of the culture changes. After some adjusting, he could live in this world.

But Hyrule couldn't. He'd shown that he was Hyrule's champion. Hyrule wouldn't survive without Link there to defend it. Apparently, the threat of evil was always there, and Link was the only one qualified to stop it. He was to Hyrule what Mega Man was to this world. The oafish king, the disjointed villas, separated by monsters. Link was the key to Hyrule's progress.

_Link will survive, but the place he came from..._ He shook his head. _I don't know. We have to get him back somehow. I've been to his world, and he's their only hope to keep it from the threat of tyranny and genocide. I certainly couldn't do what he does._

_Well, then we've got to think of a way to get him back._

_That's up to Dr. Light, if he can fix the machine._

_What if he can't fix the machine?_

_...He has to fix the machine. Link will get back, one way or the other. There's got to be a way. We can't lose hope._

"Almost done?" Link asked, coming up to the two. Mega Man still had Roll's arm open and had finished inserting the chip.

"Almost."

"This Dr. Wily guy," he held up the scroll. "Sounds like a lot of madmen. Accurate view of the problem, insane view of the solution. You really can't defeat this guy?"

"What?" Mega Man said, feeling a little accused.

"I mean, Ganondorf has sorcery that I don't fully understand, but as far as I know, sorcery has no limits. But this guy. He's just a human. No special powers. You know his motives, you know where he is, you have all this technology, and you still haven't got him?"

"There are certain rules this culture has that yours doesn't. We can't just kill anyone who is attacking us. All humans have certain unalienable rights that can't be violated, no matter what they do. There have been times when I caught him, but his activities and rights are beyond my control."

Link picked up the scroll and found his place. "According to this thing, the first time he tried to take over the world, he escaped, then he was captured, then you thought he was killed and left for dead."

"I had no evidence to the contrary. I'm not sure whether that was set up or an accident, but I saw him crushed under debris from the castle."

"And you didn't check for a body?"

"I was incapacitated as well from falling rubble. I was taken out of the fortress to avoid its total collapse before I could verify anything."

Link skeptically went back to reading. "The next time he had someone else do his dirty work, and he escaped when he self-destructed his fortress, then he did the exact same thing. The exact same thing," Link repeated with emphasis, "Then this last time you caught him and he escaped from prison." He put the scroll down. "If you expect to defeat this guy you can't pull any punches."

"I have to pull punches. It's not only the law. It's also in my programming. I cannot harm Wily. The best I can do is capture him and bring him to justice. And quite frankly, that's all I want to do. He deserves to be punished for his crimes, not to die."

"Then maybe you need to get reprogrammed. What about all the people that this guy's hurt? And going to keep on hurting until he's gone. Isn't there some law against that. Isn't there a law that says the good of the many outweighs the 'rights' of one," Link said agitatedly.

"No. There is no law like that. There might have been debate about it in the past, and it might be instigated in the future. But for right now, in this time, there are only the three laws and I abide by them. If I don't, that makes me no better than Wily's bots."

"What's this 'no better' stuff? Wily harms a hundred humans, you harm one. That really makes you no better than him? What about those people in the research base. You didn't kill them. He did. That really makes you no better?"

"The law is the law. Justice will be served through the law. There is no other way it can be served. Plus, I would be terminated if I violated the law."

"Mega Man... Rock... You can't end up living your life like mine. At least I'm spared the turmoil of living my experiences over and over again."

"Your life?" Roll questioned.

Link sighed and looked up at the ceiling, preparing for a lengthy explanation. "My destiny is to fight evil. Across generations, fight evil. Every time evil is at work, a hero named Link is destined to appear and protect the land. And the reason I have to do this, is because of some screw-up the gods or whoever made the first time with sealing the evil. There was a break in time, something that allowed the evil to exist beyond the normal mortal limits. And so to fix this, the gods made it so that Princess Zelda and I would arise and fight the evil. So I'm forced to fight even after I'm dead. But at least it's not really me always fighting." He pointed squarely at Mega Man. "You have a choice."

"I do not have a choice. I'm bound by the laws."

"Hmph," Link muttered. "Fine. It's your world, not mine. You can do things your way if you want."

Roll was doing her hardest to resist blurting out the truth. She wanted to see Wily stopped as badly as Link did. But revealing that Rock was a rogue robot, without the three laws, would have been a disastrous watershed incident. The greater good was served by keeping her mouth shut.

Mega Man, visibly unperturbed, shut Roll's arm panel. "Feel okay?"

Roll could find no problems or conflicts with the new hardware. "Feels good."

"Try it out."

Roll turned to face Tango who was pawing at Rush's stubby tail wagging back and forth. "Tango! Bounce!"

With a quick meow, the cat tucked into a ball, bristling up its back to reveal sharp edged shingles. It bounced around the room, banging against the walls, floor, and ceiling, seeking out potential enemies. It skidded to a stop in a corner and unfurled back to a full-length. As if nothing happened, it looked cutely at Roll.

"Whoa, it didn't do that with the piece of string," Link said.

"Well, that still works," Roll said. "Now the new stuff. Tango, board."

Tango meowed and sat on its stomach. Its paws tucked into itself and spun into wheels. The backs of its haunches slid away to reveal two small rockets. "All right," Roll said, pumping her fist in the air. She gleefully stepped onto Tango's flattened back and sped off around the room in a circle.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," she yelped as she ran around in a tight circle. Tango stopped short, nearly throwing her off. She dizzily stepped off Tango's back, who reformed to a normal cat-bot. "Pretty fun," Roll said, wobbling about.

Rush, aroused by all the excitement, stood up and barked at Tango. Tango meowed and hissed defiantly back at the dog and casually licked her paw. Rush barked again and charged. Tango, at the last minute, bounded up onto the chair while Rush crashed headlong into the floor.

"Oh, Rush," Mega Man chided. "You have to get her where she's going. You gotta think ahead."

Roll grinned, "Hey, don't tell your dog how to beat up my cat. He can beat himself up on his own."

"Wait," Link said with brightened eyes, "We've been going about this all wrong. We've been trying to track Wily where he's been. Not where he's going."

"What do you mean?" Mega Man asked.

"We've been trying to follow Wily's path of destruction, but can't we predict where he's going to be?" He pointed directly at Mega Man. "Wily's going to put a brain in a robot. So what does he need to do that?"

"Well, he needs-"

"He needs special equipment, doesn't he? Stuff that you can't find just anywhere."

"Dr. Selkirk did outline some of the equipment and technology necessary for the transference," Roll said, "Not all of it was invented at his time."

"Is it invented now?"

"Yes, it must be."

Link said, "Well, Wily knows we're breathing down his neck so he's not going to make it all himself. He's going to take it."

"And," Mega Man said, starting to follow Link's line of logic, "Some of what he needs is already being used elsewhere, in factories and research institutes."

"Well, think of something he would need," Link prodded. "Something rare."

"He would need a transferring conduit." He touched his hand to his chin and thought, "For this purpose, that would be in the form of a supermagnetic conducting coil."

"There are only five of those in the world," Roll said.

"Which one would be the easiest to get?" Link asked.

"There is one in New Mexico. At the Auxiliary Quantum Coupling Plant."

"Which is near an underground mining facility," Roll added.

"And what is else is underground in New Mexico?" Mega Man smiled.

"Gophers!" Link said.

**Next Chapter: Finally, Some Action**


	13. Chapter 45: Finally, Some Action

_Chapter 45: Finally, Some Action_

Three streams of light plopped down on the ground from the sky, one blue, one purple, one light green and brown. The columns hit the ground, flattened out a bit like a Jell-O mold, then sprang up and reconstituted themselves into their respective forms - Mega Man, Roll, and Link. The two robots looked up at the great rust-brown factory with looming cargo door towering over them. "We're here," he said, thinking to himself why robots had such a predilection towards attacking factories and power plants.

The one biological entity staggered over to the wall and leaned up against it, putting his cold sweating head on his forearm.

He gulped loudly. "It's all right," Link said as he saw them make motions toward him out of the corner of his eyes. All the time he kept repeating in his mind, 'I'm not gonna throw up, I'm not gonna throw up'.

"You sure?" Mega Man said.

"Yeah. Just give me a minute."

"We don't have a minute."

"Well, then go on without me. I'll be all right," he said, breathing heavily.

Mega Man was concerned, not wanting to leave him here abandoned in the line of danger.

"I'll stay with him," Roll said.

Mega Man was surprised at this move. Since all Roll had practically talked about was seeing some action, it was strange to see her volunteer to stay behind and play babysitter. But he nodded and headed into the factory.

Roll turned back to Link who was now pacing back and forth, trying to walk off his nausea. "Sorry about this," he said.

"Not a problem."

"You can go on ahead. Guess you don't want to stay here taking care of a sick human." Link knew she wanted to see some action just the same as he did. He was trying to fight off the teleportation sickness as fast as possible so he could join back in. He took a sip of water from his canteen to wash down the bile rising in his throat.

"No. I've got as big a duty to protect humans as Rock does."

Link smirked at him. "Thanks." He took a deep breath, expanding out his chest. "I think I'm all right now." He cocked his head back and forth. "Ready?"

She pulled her laser pistol out of the holster at her side. "Let's go."

They barreled into the plant with fierce determination, passing by construction robots with bulky gray bodies and empty eyes walking back and forth. Conveyer belts and pistons fell into the background as they focused on their goal. Roll was the one leading the trek, but they were running side-by-side, trying to catch up to Mega Man. They saw him minutes later at the large doorway into the room which held the conducting coil. An oblong robot with tiny claw arms and red eyes was floating in front of the door.

"What's wrong?" Link asked. "Do we need a Big Key?"

Mega Man said, "I can't be let in because I don't have the proper authority. The only robots that can enter the room are the ones who are in there now doing maintenance and human workers."

"Well, what do I look like to you? Chopped liver?" Link stood in front of Mega Man and pointed to the security robot. "Listen buddy. I'm the chieftain district supervisor for this plant. There is an emergency malfunction with the continuum transfunctioner and we need to get in there now. It's a code 1-A emergency."

"The conducting coil requires a class three authorization-"

"Screw your authorization, son. Lives are at stake. Do you want to be in violation of the first law? Do you? You will if you don't let us in there."

"Contacting appropriate officials-"

Link threw up his hands. "We don't have time for that, dammit! What is your major malfunction? Don't you understand law one overrides your primary objective? Let me in now, or Janie will never live to see another day. Do you want that on your conscience? Do ya? If we don't all get blown out of the sky first, I'll see to it you're retired."

"Command understood. Door locks releasing."

"Thank you. About time we got some service here."

Mega Man and Roll stared at Link. "Where in the world did you learn to talk like that?"

"It was on one of those ghost world plays. Never did find out what happened to Janie. Hope she made it out all right."

Mega Man and Roll inwardly rolled their eyes as the security bot turned and operated the control panel. The door opened its maw and the security bot floated down the gray dingy corridor. They stopped short of another door which opened automatically for them at the whim of their guardian. They quickly sped out into a vast cylindrical tower stretching as high as the top of the plant. Tiers of walkways encircle the various floors this tower intersected with. Trailing wires flashing with electricity dangled back and forth in the breeze over the massive gaping pit.

"It's gone!" Mega Man declared. "It couldn't have just vanished. That thing was huge."

"Authorities being contacted," the security bot monotoned and reversed his direction.

Mega Man and Roll split up and ran down the semi-circle runway overhanging the pit. "It couldn't have just vanished."

"Did it teleport out?" Link asked.

"No. The machinery inside the coil is too unstable to be teleported. It would have to be carried out by someone."

"Are robots capable of carrying out things as big as this?" Link asked.

"Not even Guts Man could do it. And even if one could, it would be too unwieldy to take more than a hundred yards. And even so, no one would be able to transport such a large piece of technology without being seen."

"No human, you mean," Roll said.

Mega Man shook his head. "Well, it may have been a robot. But how would they have taken it out of here? The machine was lowered in from the top. And they couldn't have taken it out the door. Where else would they have gone?"

"Down." Link leaned over the railing and pointed downward into the inky blackness. Mega Man glanced up from the hanging wires and down into the ground.

"Yes, look!" Roll pointed. "Use your spectro. See the scratch marks on the walls?"

"Yes. I see it. They're fresh. Come on, we've got to follow them." He ran forward and jumped down into the pit. Link's eyes widened as he watched him drop like a rock into a well.

"Link," Roll said with authority. "Take that ladder," she pointed out.

"Is he going to be all right?"

"Yes. We have energy absorbing material on the bottom of our boots. It cancels out impact from falls." She followed suit, sprinting forward and long jumping into the chasm.

"Yeah, ladder's a good idea," he spoke aloud, thinking his boots weren't so advanced. He was daring, but not suicidal. Link ran to the other side and grabbed the two side-rails of the ladder and slid. He kept his hands near the sides of the rail in case he needed to stop short. The darkness of the pit gave way to bright light flooding through a cavern at the bottom. He slowed his descent by gripping onto the bars, making sure not to yank his arms out of his sockets.

Hopping the final step, he landed with his boots in the dirt as his robot friends were sniffing around the well-lit cavern they now found themselves in. Bright halogen lamps dotted the access strip.

"This is a big cave," Link said. "Looks like it was meant for people."

"It was. This is a mining shaft."

"The mining facility that's right next door," Roll added.

"The culprit must have made a tunnel close by so he could escape undetected," Mega Man said.

"Not escape, just commit the crime. He's got to be high-tailing out of here now. We've just got to figure out which way he went," Roll said.

Mega Man pointed to the intersection of the tunnel as a demonstration. The cavern was dug out as an offshoot of a mining tunnel. A set of railcar tracks marked its path.

"He had to have gone that way," Link pointed to the right.

"What makes you say that?"

"Look at the pattern of the tracks. They have those raised arrows on them. The rail car can't go backwards because it would catch on the arrows."

"He's right," Mega Man said. "In the old days, rail cars were designed like that to prevent them from reversing direction and crushing someone. Let's roll."

"What?" Roll said.

"I mean, let's go."

Roll, Mega Man, and Link ran up the tracks, passing the spheres of light on the wall to give light. The tunnel started rolling around a bend, revealing a net of security lasers blocking their path. They were shooting out of boxes attached to the wall, probably placed by the culprit to keep trackers from advancing.

"Wait! Hold up!" Mega Man commanded when Link kept going. "Those lasers are dangerous."

"Aw, screw your lasers." Link sprinted off and before Mega Man could stop him he leapt over the grid, passing right through a gap in the net.

Mega Man and Roll, visibly impressed with Link's agility, stopped short of the net, no holes big enough for them to dive or slide through. Mega Man took out his arm cannon and Roll her twin pistols and started shooting the laser producing hubs out from the wall.

"Go ahead, we'll catch up," Roll said.

Link did not need to be told that, as he was already bounding off. It took only a second for Roll and Mega Man to clear the path, with both of them working together. The Hylian was leading the pack now. He pumped his arms and legs back and forth, racing down the corridor. Link was sorely missing his pegasus boots right now.

Another bend appeared, this time to the left, and two unusual spheres hung from the ceiling, looking like burnt out light bulbs. Link paid them no mind at first, then they detached from their perch and flipped upward, spreading out bat wings and heading flying towards him. The Hylian was not sure how they could stay aloft with such a rotund figure, but he skidded to a stop and pulled out his bow and arrow. With lightning speed he nocked and shot a missile that swiftly flew through the air and clanged harmlessly on the metal exterior.

Two plasma blasts rang out behind him, striking one of the bats and disintegrating it.

"I've got the batton-tons," Mega Man said from behind. "Keep going."

Link nodded and rushed under the second enemy as Mega Man blasted it from the sky. A distinct rumbling could be heard ahead of him. Too focused on running, Link hadn't realized it was present until now. The gritty repetition sounded like a rail car beating against the tracks.

After the next turn in the tunnel, he saw the peak end of a metal spiraling pillar, placed horizontally, sailing down the tunnel.

"I see it!" Link yelled to the two robots behind him. It looked like the pillar was just traveling by itself on a rail-car down the tracks. The sight of their goal renewed their vigor and they ran even harder, now catching up to the slow moving bulky machinery.

A bright flash of light erupted from near the pillar and passed by. Link ducked it and it sailed between the two robot siblings, exploding against the wall.

"What was that?" Link declared.

"The machine! It's not traveling by itself!" Roll said.

"It's that robot from the museum. I can't blast it, I might hit the coil!"

A large plasma blast soared upward to the ceiling above Link and hit the stalactites above. A tremulous rumbling followed. Link knew what was coming and dived out of the way, just as the boulders started coming down. Getting to his feet, he scampered off as the ceiling tumbled down behind him. Just barely out of the crush zone, he waved away the dust and looked for Mega Man and Roll.

"Guys? Where are you?"

From behind the cave-in, Mega Man yelled out. "We're all right. We're back here," he called out after checking with Roll, who was getting up and brushing the dust off. "You all right?"

"Barely!" Link yelled from the other side of the rocks, barely able to hear the robot's muzzled voice.

"We have to dig our way out!" Roll yelled. "Go on without us! We'll catch up!"

"Got it!" Link furrowed his brows and sprinted down the tunnel, ready to catch up to the slow moving device. The robots would be fine, but it was more important that someone stopped that conduit coil before it fell into Wily's hands. In no time, he saw the end of the machine dipping low into a bump. It looked like it was driving itself, but Link knew there was some invisible being pushing the long rail-car.

"Stop!" he yelled.

Two more plasma blasts erupted from the machine. Link was far enough away to dodge them and did so easily.

"All right, coward. Let's see what you're made out of." Link took out his bow and arrow and fired two shots as he ran. Both arrows hit their target, the point of origin for the blasts, and fell to the ground harmlessly.

"Ack," Link swore. "How about some heavy artillery?" He plucked a blue bomb out of his bag and threw it ahead as far as he could. It hit the edge of the rail-car, which the invisible foe ran away from. The machine avoided the blast, but the shrapnel must have done something to the robot, as he could see a black shimmer running through his body, revealing his outline. The cloak was flickering in and out, giving an idea of where the robot was.

Link was getting desperate for useful weapons. "One of these has to work," he yelped and pulled out the next thing on top of his bag, his boomerang. He chucked it forward with full force. It sailed through the air, spinning and spinning, slowly descending. It missed his intended target and flew under the rail-car.

Suddenly, a screeching sound filled the air and yellow sparks flew from the wheel. Link's boomerang must have jammed up in the wheel or hit the brake or something. The enemy ran its stomach into the bottom of the car and fell back into the ground.

"Yes!" Link said. "Finally."

The Hylian ran up to the machine and pulled out his sword, pointing it at the fallen humanoid, whose shape was flickering in and out like a light.

"Reveal yourself," the Hylian demanded.

The robot remained motionless on the ground. Link could see he was sitting up, leaning back on his hands. Perhaps he was trying to recover from disorientation.

"I said reveal yourself," Link demanded more forcefully.

What looked like a shimmering waterfall washed over the robot, as if he was turning to liquid. The form solidified, changing color to blue, revealing...

"Mega Man?"

The form of Mega Man looked up at him, an evil scowl in his eyes. With a swift motion of his leg, he kicked Link in the stomach, sending him flying back into the rock and his sword clattering to the floor. The blue robot spun around and pushed the trolley forward, pumping his legs like pistons, getting the car moving even faster than before.

When Link recovered from his blow, he looked around, seeing nothing in view. He didn't remember being knocked out, but perhaps he was. There was no rail-car, no sounds of rumbling, and no conducting conduit. Link woozily stood up and recovered his lost sword, cursing himself for letting him get away. Letting Mega Man get away? What in the world was going on? There couldn't be two of them, could there? He'd seen some similar robots, of the same design, but he thought Mega Man was a unique robot. Was he fighting for the wrong team?

Just then, Mega Man and Roll came running down the passageway. "Link, are you all right?"

Link withdrew his sword. "Don't come any closer."

"Link, what are you doing?"

A moment of decision brought his sword back down. He remembered all the good Mega Man had done for him and a world he didn't even know. There was no way he would bring up a blade against someone like that. "Sorry. I'm having a rough day. You won't believe what I just saw."

**Next Chapter: Meeting the Enemy**


	14. Chapter 46: Meeting the Enemy

_Chapter 46: Meeting the Enemy_

Mega Man commanded the door to open and it did. It had been a long journey back from the New Mexico power plant, even despite using the teleporter. They discussed as they navigated through the lab.

"It's impossible," Roll declared. "Dr. Wily has never been able to successfully make a Rock clone. Not one that didn't need a holographic projector."

"Wait, what's a holographic projector?" Link asked.

Mega Man said, "It's a stationary machine, kind of like the holo-tv. It's needed for producing holograms... or ghosts. It's just a cover-up. A cloak, like an invisibility shield. Wily has done it before. In his first takeover, he fooled me with a clone of myself, using doc technology. That's sort of a process where robot dupes are made with similar appearances and similar technology, but no A.I. He had all the same weapons as I did, and it was a tough battle, but I prevailed, obviously. He was essentially trying a confusion tactic, and it was a good one too. He later revealed doc technology to the world to convince us that he had returned to sanity and reformed."

"Yes," Roll said, "The world was quite thankful, and then they sure felt like idiots when he fooled them all."

"Then in his third takeover, he tried it again. This time though, he made three mes. And he had this device to teleport them around, to keep me guessing which one was the vulnerable one. The other two were just ghosts, but I couldn't tell which plasma blast was coming from the real one, because they all shot at the same time."

"Sounds tricky," Link said.

"It was. I had to shoot them all to see which one was absorbing the blasts and which ones were reflecting it. It was a battle of timing and avoidance. But he needed that machine there to produce the images of myself. Those aren't transportable. So I don't know how Dr. Wily could make a clone of myself."

"So he couldn't use the doc technology to do it?" Link said.

"No, he still needs a holographic emitter, and those aren't transportable. Not only that, but a hologram can't be invisible at the same time. So it can't be a hologram. The only other answer is that he's built a copy of me, with the same information and intelligence. But he's never done that before, why do it now?"

The three presented themselves in front of the large elevator and entered when the doors opened.

"What if it switched holograms in mid-flight," Link said. "From invisible to you."

"It wouldn't have happened the way you described it."

"So he has made a duplicate of you," Roll said. "It's not like it's difficult."

"Then why hasn't Wily done it before?" Link asked. "Why hasn't he created an entire army of his own Mega Mans, er, men."

"Well, the thing is, he's not the strongest robot out there," Roll said.

"Yeah, I was built for tool using, not battle," Mega Man agreed.

"So, it's better for Wily to build a robot intended for battle," Roll said.

"Despite the fact that you beat him every time?" Link asked.

Mega Man shrugged. "What can I say? He's a madman. The very definition of insanity is repeating an action over and over and expecting to get different results."

"He might have Mega Man's body, but not his brains," Roll said. "Dr. Wily was always more centered on the hardware aspect of robotics. Dr. Light was an expert on the software. There's no way Dr. Wily could simply make another Mega Man exactly. All he knew was the physical specifications."

The elevator doors opened and deposited them onto the living floor. They started walking down the hall into the main area.

"All right," Link acquiesced, "So we know Dr. Wily has a Mega Man clone. And he's using it to steal the thing needed to complete his plans."

"But that also doesn't make sense either. My design is not meant for stealth or thieving. So why would Wily make a Mega Man clone? What would he use it for?"

A pleasant tone sounded around them.

"What was that?" Link asked. Mega Man turned the corner and attended to the flashing computer screen sitting on a table.

"The doorbell," Roll said.

"What's a doorbell?"

"A push button at a door that gives a ringing signal that someone is there."

"Oh," Link uttered. "We just knock."

Mega Man accessed the camera feed in front of the door to see who it was. "It's the police!" Mega Man said.

Roll heard the urgency in Rock's voice, but didn't understand it. Mega Man had relations with the police, often collaborating with them for the purposes of finding Dr. Wily, or to testify against him. He'd even been there earlier, why was he so concerned now?

"What's going on?" she asked.

"They're armed," Mega Man said as he dutifully went to the door. Two heavily armored gray robots, holding body-length shields were standing in front of the doorway, blocking a human in a blue uniform who Link guessed was part of law enforcement.

"Mega Man! I... didn't expect... ahem. Mega Man, we're here to place you under arrest. Don't give us any trouble, or we'll be forced to take drastic measures."

"What? Why? What's the problem?" Roll said as she immediately came to Rock's side, holding her hands in plea.

"I take it you haven't looked at the news feed lately."

The two robots and one Hylian gave each other quizzical expressions. Link, the closest, picked up the remote and pressed the power button, aiming it at the rectangle on the wall. A vivid picture flicked on, showing shaky two-dimensional footage of a city, with people scattering around. A blue robot was bouncing up and down and firing plasma blasts wildly. The shaky view zoomed in and unblurred to reveal Mega Man scaring away the civilians. A voice-over described the scene.

"-say that Mega Man was seen in the third precinct, firing wildly at humans and destroying public property. In what is an apparently unprovoked attack, many witnesses have reported injuries and property damage-"

The three looked stunned at what they were seeing. Obviously, the three of them were with Mega Man the entire time so it had to be Wily's clone.

"This is a fake!" Roll declared. "It's obvious. Rock would never do something like this." She turned back to the policeman. "There's a clone out there made by Dr. Wily. He's the one responsible."

Link piped up. "How can this be happening there, when you're here."

"Recorded broadcast," Mega Man said calmly.

"We have no choice," the policeman said. "We came here expecting Dr. Light, but if you're here, we have no choice but to arrest you and take you in, as you are the prime suspect. If you resist, we will use maximum force on you, which may result in permanent damage to your system."

"Dr. Light is currently incapacitated. He's in the hospital."

"In that case, we will definitely have to detain you until Dr. Light can be notified."

"This is ludicrous," Link shouted. "We know there's a fake Mega Man out there. Doesn't he have a reputation here? It would make no sense for him to suddenly go haywire and then come back here casually."

"It doesn't matter," Mega Man said, much to Link's surprise. He hadn't any idea why he was defending his arrest. "I'm their only lead right now, even if there is a second me. Plus with Dr. Light gone, my master is currently unable to issue me commands, and that gives me potential to be a rogue."

The officer seemed to hunker back behind his robot guards. "And by law you are required to be immobilized and taken to a holding facility."

Roll was stricken with a sudden pang of fear. Would Rock try to resist? He could take out the robots with no problem, but if he harmed that human, that would be it for him. He would be destroyed without a moment's hesitation, labeled as a rogue robot. If Rock tried something, they might discover the lack of proper programming within him, and then the rest of the world would, and take him down.

Rock, though, bowed his head in deference. "It's all right, I'll come quietly. I only request that I am not powered down or deactivated until Dr. Light is informed and can get together a sufficient defense for me."

"That's up to the courts to decide. But you won't be turned off, just immobilized."

Mega Man turned to his sister. "I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding. We'll get it cleared up before too long." _I hope,_ Mega Man silently added. "It's not like it's the first time one of our own has been falsely accused."

The policeman picked up a round circle with a small box. "I have to place this on you."

"I understand."

The officer fastened the circle around Mega Man's neck and pressed a button on the box. He felt the immobilizer's effects immediately, reducing his input commands to only respond to basic human orders such as 'move forward' and 'answer questions'. It was more meant to suppress his A.I. and decision-making.

"I'm coming with you," Roll said. "You hear? I'm coming with."

Mega Man slowly nodded.

"Fine," the officer said. "Mega Man, move forward."

"Link!" Roll called out as her brother started his zombie-like movement out the door. The Hylian was still watching the news feed. "I'm going with Mega Man. I'll contact Dr. Light as soon as I know he's safe."

Link nodded, "I'll stay here and see what I can learn."

Roll nodded back and closed the door behind her. Once again, Link was left alone in this house, though now it was less strange than when he entered it. He kept watching the lady behind the desk tell him what had transpired in the 'third precinct' some time ago. He listened intently, never saying a word. Having nothing else new to report, the discussion turned to overbearing analyses by robot sociologists about what this meant for the future of robotics, and going on about the laws, and whether Mega Man had grown too dangerous to be allowed to live. Link, although angered by these jumps to conclusions, pushed it aside and tried to think about how this attack related to the current situation.

Link estimated it had been several hours since his encounter in the tunnel. He had no idea how fast robots could move, but he imagined, since they were mechanical men, they could move pretty fast, even if they weren't teleporting. Faster than the fastest animals he'd seen. It was possible he could have been anywhere in the world from the time he got away.

They went back to the captured video of Mega Man, jumping and spinning around, firing his shots wildly. Link had been on the receiving end of those shots. He knew their deadly accuracy. Something wasn't mixing here. The Mega Man clone was purposefully not trying to hurt people, but why? They were scattering around, running madly away from the geyser of plasma power. The video ended with Mega Man was heading to the left, and they repeated it from beginning to end again. He didn't even look like he was trying. The zoom-in on the robot's face gave him a blank countenance, like he didn't care what he was doing. In the museum, Mega Man had said that it could have been a 'dumb' robot, one controlled remotely by another. He also said, using doc technology, robots could be duplicated with the same appearance, but no intelligence. It seemed like this robot didn't have a lot of personality, at least as far as robots went. Just a mindless battle machine.

The news report came back on and started over, repeating the same story as if he hadn't listened before. She was telling the story beginning to end, saying that Mega Man had emerged from the subway to the surface and suddenly started firing wildly into the crowd, causing mass chaos. No one had seen exactly where he had originated from, but started firing while underground, driving people up to the surface, following them, and then disappearing again in a teleport.

The word underground suddenly caught Link's ear. There were others afterward that were unrecognizable. Mega Man wasn't here to give him a definition though. "Computer?"

A pleasant beep. "Please input command or query."

"What is a 'subway'?"

"Several definitions found. Definition one. An underground way such as a passage under a street. Definition two. A usually electric underground railway."

That was what he was missing. The Mega man clone wasn't trying to kill people. He was trying to get them out of the way. He was trying to get them out of the 'subway', so he could use the railway tracks to transport the conduit coil without being interfered with. Discrediting Mega Man wasn't Wily's plan. It was just a pleasant side effect.

Suddenly, the video image flickered from interference. White lines streaked across, ruining the picture. The words of the woman became disjointed and staticky.

"Hello? Hello?" he called out, trying to get her attention again.

The picture turned to dense snow, and then a blue screen with the words 'VIDEO 1'. Link jerked his head back in surprise. Then the words 'COMMUNICATION STREAMING' appeared at the bottom. The image of a gray-haired old man suddenly filled up the rectangle. His yellowish eyes gleamed in a way that offset Link's comfort. The wild hair sprouting out the sides of his head, along with his thick mustache, completed the picture.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha," he cackled in glee. "So, Dr. Light. How do you like my..." His expression of delight changed to confusion. "You're not Dr. Light," he uttered, partially as a question.

"No, I'm Link. Who are you?"

The old man pressed his liver-spotted forehead to the screen, looking left and right in the room, as if he was trying to punch through to look around. "Where's Dr. Light?"

"He's in the hospital."

"The hospital? What happened to him?"

"Not sure. I think he was injured."

"Is Roll there?"

"No."

"Mega Man?"

"No."

"Well, who are you, the butler?"

"No!" Link declared, a little offended.

"Does Dr. Light know you're in his house?"

"Yes, I'm a friend of Mega Man. What do you care? Who are you?"

"I'm Dr. Wily," he said, pressing his palm to his chest proudly.

"Really?" Link thought of how much uglier in person he was. "You're Dr. Wily?" he said as he crossed his arms defiantly. He sure didn't look so tough.

"The one and only. If you would be so kind as to leave a message for Dr. Light telling him how I'm about to finally complete my plans to take over the world and to dare Mega Man to try and stop me."

"Well, I don't think Mega Man will be stopping much of anything lately. Some law enforcement just came to take him away."

Dr. Wily again blinked in confusion. "Really? That fast, huh?" He sat back a bit from the screen and stroked his mustache contemplatively. "Ha, ha, yes, how do you like my newest creation. I figured if I had to have someone to do my dirty work, why not him? Quite ingenious, don't you think?"

"Not really. Doesn't seem like anything new for you. You've made Mega Man clones before."

Dr. Wily sputtered at this impudence from a stranger. "What do you know of what I've done you... you... renaissance fair reject!"

Link, not knowing what a renaissance fair was, neglected to comment on the insult.

Dr. Wily continued. "This Mega Man clone is the real thing. A perfect specification of all his circuitry, a fresh start. And I've changed his A.I. to _my_ specifications, the way it should have been. Now he obeys _my_ orders, he does _my_ bidding, and he won't let little humans stand in his way. He won't be wandering willy-nilly where he wants. Nothing can stop him." He sat back a bit from the screen. "I'd hoped to keep my little secret until the final confrontation, but when he damaged his light cloak, I had to speed up the revelation that Mega Man's not so alone in the world anymore."

"Er, yes... _he_ damaged it," Link mumbled and rolled his eyes.

"He even has an energy shield. So even if Mega Man could manage to hit him, his shots would be useless, ha, ha, ha. So now he truly has no hope of defeating me. I will rule the world."

"Uh-huh. So is there a point to all this, or do you just like to hear the sound of your own voice?"

Dr. Wily gritted his teeth and leaned menacingly closer to the screen. "Just tell Dr. Light or Mega Man or whoever's there that's of any significance that I'm in the process of obtaining the last three elements to complete Dr. Selkirk's vision. A vision of a robot's power combined with the spirit of a human. It will be glorious. All I need now are an imbalance collider, a photonic density carrier, and an inverser. Then I'll have the ultimate power of a robot in my hands. I'll convert the entire world to robots."

"Seems like the world's already full of robots. Not sure what difference you're going to make."

"Bah, humans are a poor race. They fight each other over petty things, they foolishly believe in myths just to make themselves feel better. They are weak minds in bodies they don't deserve. Robots are the superior species now. I'll eliminate the humans' flaws by placing them in robot bodies. Then I'll have power over all of them."

"Kay. Whatever."

Dr. Wily looked stunned at Link's defiance, his eyes going wide and his jaw dropping. Link smirked at his expression. Apparently, Wily was used to people fearing him in this world. But Link wasn't from this world, and had no reason to be scared of an eccentric old man.

"You impudent fool," he said calmly and pointed at Link. "I'll teach you some respect. I had originally meant this for Light and his ilk, but now you'll get to enjoy it. Experience the wrath of Dr. Wily."

Link rolled his eyes as the scientist hit a button on the console in front of him below the screen. His visage disappeared and the house was filled with a harmonic whirring noise coming from all sides. Link darted his head around to try and find the source, but it was everywhere, he couldn't get a lock on it.

Some sort of green air was starting to surround him, making everything hazy. He sniffed the air, but it was odorless. He looked up and saw that it was more concentrated in the ceiling, probably being pumped out from there.

The last thing he remembered was standing up.

**Next Chapter: Dream Sequence**


	15. Chapter 47: Dream Sequence

_Chapter 47: Dream Sequence_

"Uhhhgh," Link said as he held his head. He rubbed his forehead, disheveling his green cap. He felt like he'd just dropped his brain in the mud and was trying to shake off the sludge. His blurry vision caught sight of something brown and solid in front of him. He reached his hand out for it, held on, and stood up. The rough, dry texture told him it was a rock. Shaking his head awake, he looked around. A like-like was sloughing forward nearby, dragging its jelly-like body along the wet grass. Other critters like rabbit fangs and pickit plants were scurrying around in the tall milkweeds, oblivious of his presence. He was back home. Although he couldn't quite recall how.

In fact, his entire memory was fuzzy, as he found when he tried to remember what the last thing he was doing was. He knew he was doing something before this, but couldn't recall what it was. For some reason, he knew he wasn't here before, but where was he? He leaned up against the rock, and brushed his eyes open, a displeased grimace on his face as he woke up.

Without warning, the animals stopped moving, as if frozen in time. They all slowly turned their heads and bodies to face Link, centering on him. Their eyes bore into his, and their jaws dropped in an unearthly manner, emitting a horrible tone.

"Uh-oh."

Every monster started dragging, hopping, or in some other way sauntering over, slowly surrounding him. He could see a great circle of nearly every type of monster turning from their path and coming towards him, trapping him. With his back to the rock, he reached for his sword and found... nothing. His scabbard was empty.

He reached into his holding bag to get his rods... but that was empty too. Dry as a bone, like it had never held a thing. Link gulped in terror. He didn't even have his shield.

"Uh, nice monsters... go away, shoo."

Gnashing their teeth, licking their chops, and just burbling with anger, they closed in on him, their shadows growing larger and shrouding him in darkness. Link hunched himself into a ball.

"Nayru's Love!"

Suddenly, he was covered in a blue diamond shell, the two halves spinning around fiercely in opposite directions. The animals that attacked him bounced back like rubber, leaving him unharmed.

"Din's Fire!"

A wall of flame burst out from somewhere and washed over the landscape. Link could feel the heat sweeping toward him, but the protective shield did its job, and he didn't feel the slightest pain. The rest of the monsters were consumed in the flames and either vanished or ran off with their tails between their legs.

Link, finding himself not dead or mauled, uncovered his face and looked around. The shield around him broke apart, and the area where he stood sharply darkened to night, shrouded in green-orange sky. The ground below him gave way to a low mist that covered his feet. A feminine silhouette appeared in the distance.

"Liiiink," it whispered.

"Hello? Who's there?"

The silhouette stepped forward, revealing herself as a young woman, her eyes shrouded in darkness.

"Zelda?" Link uttered. "You saved me? But you're not here."

"You're dreaming, Link."

"That- that's right, I am dreaming. I was... with Mega Man. In the other world. But I'm still talking to you. But this can't be. This doesn't feel like a dream."

"The telepathy still exists between us. I'm still in Hyrule, but I'm dreaming too. We can still speak across the dreamscape, no matter how much our physical distance is. Where are you?"

"I'm in Mega Man's world. I got kinda put here by accident. It's an interesting story actually. Hee, hee."

Zelda put her hands on her hips indignantly, as she always did whenever Link gave that sheepish grin of his. The elfish boy started his tale from when she last saw Mega Man, when they went to Kakariko Village to stop the invasion by the moblins. Link followed the battle in vivid, action-packed detail, at which Zelda tuned out for a bit. He finished up at the point where the cave was about to collapse in on itself.

"And since I had about a split-second to think, I dived into the portal and I ended up here."

"So the fourth Triforce piece was a fake," Zelda mused. "I suppose we should have realized that all along."

"Well, we needed to investigate it anyway. At least there won't be any more moblins around."

"It's good to know you're safe. I was starting to get worried, after word came that you had discovered an underground passage, I thought you were searching another temple."

"Yeah..." Link kicked the ground absent-mindedly. Although he had regaled his tale in fullest splendor, there was one section he had left out. He was sure he didn't want to tell her about it at the time, but now that he had a chance to reflect, maybe this was the righter thing to do. "Zelda, there's something I gotta tell you. Something I left out." He wasn't expecting to have to deal with this now. But it would be burning in his mind if he didn't say it.

"Yes, Link?" she asked with eager anticipation.

"When I was in the underground temple under the lost woods, we found a, sort of, hidden room. It's... well, maybe you oughta go check it out for yourself. It's important."

"Is that the one with the epigraphs of our predecessors."

"Epi-...? The what?"

"The legends. The stories of those who came before us. The other keepers of the Triforce."

"Wha... you _know_ about that?"

"I'm the keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom. Of course I knew about that. All the royal family knows about that. How else do you think I knew you were the hero of destiny?"

"I... er..."

"That temple was first known as the Temple of Time, the resting place of the Master Sword and the nexus of the Imprisoning War. Over various circumstances, natural and man-made, it was buried deep within the lost woods, but not before it was stocked with the knowledge of those who came before, so that their legends would live on. It was never found, but I knew of its existence."

"Uh-huh, well, that information could have been useful to me YESTERDAY!" He yelled out with fists shaking behind him. "Do you know how much I've thought about what this means for us? Do you know how much I've been agonizing over telling you this? No, you know what? Forget you. Do you know how much _I've_ been agonizing over this myself?"

Zelda stood there, calm and cool, listening with empathy as Link spilled his guts. She could sense over the dreamscape that Link wasn't angry with her, but he was trying to purge himself of the emotions he was feeling. He didn't understand why she wasn't angry at this situation.

"Don't you feel manipulated? Coerced?" Link demanded to know.

Zelda shook her head.

He said, "You've been forced into doing something that you had no say over. Everyone else gets to choose how they want to live their life, but our lives... they've had their choice ripped away."

"Link, none of our lives have any choice. We're all fated for something. We're all being led on a path some way somewhere. That's our destiny. That's the way the goddesses planned it."

Link was flabbergasted. "Are you telling me you like the idea of having our lives led for us? You like the idea of having to always protect Hyrule whenever evil covers the land? For all of time?"

"But it's not us. It's our descendants. They may not be of our bloodline, but we are their predecessors. If we didn't defeat the evil, there would be no future generations of Hyrule to defend it."

"Doesn't it bother you that we'll never find peace though? I mean, according to those legends, the evil is never going to die. Never. It'll never be defeated. We'll always be fighting and fighting until the end of time." He slunk back against the rock. "There will never be peace in Hyrule."

"How can you say that?" Zelda said with feminine anger. "There's peace there right now."

"It's only temporary. Ganon will come back. He'll never stop coming back."

"The price of peace is eternal vigilance. Unless you want to restrict the freedom of Hyrule citizens. Post guards at every home. Confiscate all weapons and magic. Border up towns. That sort of thing."

Link looked away, unhappy at being put in an impossible question.

Zelda continued. "It's not so bad, really. The evil comes out, we put it back in. Life goes on. There are things to do in between those times. You have a choice then. You can explore the world. You can make your own path. Once, the goddesses left it up to us to choose our hero, to initiate the keepers of the Triforce. It didn't work. We looked to the one who had come before, but he was long gone. And this is what happened."

Zelda waved her arm back and the darkness lifted. The sky brightened to high noon. And Link found himself standing on a tiny island in the middle of a great sea. Squinting his eyes, adjusting to the sudden brightness, Link dashed his head around, standing up like a rod from where he was leaning against the rock. There was nothing but a wide blue plain, pulsating with blue water lapping at the shore of the round ball of land. The expanse of water was enormous, never had Link seen anything like it. He'd never even seen the sea and suddenly felt very small.

"What? Where is this?" Link asked as he treaded the edge of the island, trying to look past the horizon.

"This is... was Hyrule. When the seal of the Sages broke, Ganon was free, and there was no hero to protect us. So the goddesses did the only thing they could do. They flooded the land. Endless rain. Endless, until there was nothing left but a few mountaintops. But the evil was suppressed, deep within the castle under the sea. And the people adapted to life on the Great Sea. Ganondorf broke free of the surface and created a fortress in a lone corner of the ocean to regroup his takeover. At that point, the hero appeared, thankfully. He recovered the Triforce, re-sealed Ganondorf away, and drained away the water." Zelda walked up behind Link and put a hand on his shoulder. "That's why you are so important, Link."

"Then it was true," Link muttered, thinking about all the lore and history that had been revealed to him. The truth was staring him right in the face, he had just never accepted it.

"The 'what' that happens is something we don't have control over. The 'how' of what we do about it is completely up to us. The goddesses simply set the game board. We decide how we want to move."

Link made a defiant guttural noise. "But the only way to win is not to play."

"Even gods make mistakes, I suppose. We didn't start this, and I'm sorry for that. But we're the only ones who can end it. And we have free will in that regard. We're the most important people in the shaping of Hyrule's future. The gods chose wisely," she paused. "I don't know anyone better I'd want holding the Triforce of Courage."

Link tore his eyes away from the empty void before him for the first time and looked at Zelda. She was smiling sweetly at him with her hands clasped in front of her dress. He felt a sensation on the back of his hand and looked at it. The mark of the Triforce was glowing, highlighting his piece.

"We match," she said with a small laugh, and held up her hand as well. It was glowing with the same triangle symbol, only the highlighted piece was on the left side.

"We can make Hyrule better," she said.

Link looked from his symbol to her's for a moment, then put his hand back down. "When did you get so smart?"

"Triforce of Wisdom, remember?" Zelda smiled as she pointed at her hand.

"Heh, right."

"So when are you going to get back?"

"Not sure. Apparently, Mega Man's owner, or programmer, or keeper... well, he got injured while he was in my world. And the machine he used to get him here is broken. So when he gets out of the infirmary, he'll be able to fix it back up and send me home."

"Infirmary? They can't use a healing fairy?"

"They have no healing fairies. They have no magic."

"No magic... whatsoever?"

"No magic," Link repeated. "No fire rod, no magic potions, not even my lantern works. So I've been feeling kinda useless here. But they've been really accepting of me in the mean time. They've got plenty of interesting things to eat. And Mega Man even has a sister. She took me shopping yesterday. All the people here are nothing like you've ever seen. Everyone tries to sell you something. And none of the women wear any clothes practically."

Zelda opened her eyes as wide as dinner plates in surprise, then concern, then anger.

"Er, not that I've noticed," Link amended.

"Well, I'm glad you're having a good time," she said sarcastically.

"But the world is full of mechanical men, just like Mega Man. They're hundreds of them. Like there are two races in the world, competing for dominance. You could cut the tension with a knife. I know he said we were too separated for our own good, but his world is too close together. They're packed in so tightly, they have to build buildings up to the sky. It's like the world is brimming with war. There's even this guy Dr. Wily-" Link's eyes suddenly struck large, upon his realization. "Oh no, the gas! He's still out there. He left something in the house and he gassed me. I've been gassed! Poison gas! I need to wake up! Wake up! Wake up, Link!"

"Wake up!"

Link found himself shouting 'wake up' into the carpet. His nose was squished against the floor, in between the couch and the coffee table.

"Wha?" He pushed himself on his hands and knees and looked around. The green gas was gone, perhaps diffused or sucked away by the ventilators. He was alive and back in Mega Man's world. But he had a massive headache.

"Uhhhgh," Link said as he held his head. He propped himself back up on the couch, closed his eyes, and held his throbbing head, resting his elbows on his knees.

"...R.A.I.D. and several other anti-robot organizations have set up camp outside the Civil Robot Defense Holding Facility, demanding the permanent deactivation of Mega Man."

"What?" he said to the voice. He then realized that it was the rectangle portal to the Computer, giving the news. There was a different woman this time, narrating over a live picture of a large crowd of people holding signs and looking angry outside a fenced-in building.

"The unusual amount of protestors has prompted police guards to mobilize outside the facility to prevent unauthorized access to Mega Man. Police Chief Muggins stated in a press conference that he fears rioting may occur, and so has brought out all necessary precautions."

The screen switched to a fat man speaking in front of a short stick attached to a podium. "Due to the volatile nature of the circumstances of Mega Man's detainment, we've decided to mobilize the riot prevention measures at this time. I stress that this is only in effort to ensure that peace is kept and that the detainee does not become a victim of mob justice."

"Mob justice?" Link repeated incredulously.

The screen went back to the reporter. "Some people say they've seen individuals toting EMP weapons and other anti-robot guns. If Mega Man is taking out of the facility publicly, he is a likely target for a civilian assassination."

"Assassination!" Link replied. "I've got to get over there now!"

Link gathered his stuff and headed out the door. Fifteen seconds later, he realized he had no idea where he was going.

**Next Chapter: Protest**


	16. Chapter 48: Protest

_Chapter 48: Protest_

I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him.

-Booker T. Washington

Link's knees were bouncing from anxiety, as he watched the buildings and cars pass by on the skyway. This was faster than he had ever gone before, but for some reason it still didn't feel fast enough. The taxi must have had a preset speed limit which he could reach. No matter how many times he pleaded with the robot driver he stated he could not excel the legal limit. If only Link had known how to work the teleporter he wouldn't need to deal with this.

He would have used the vehicle in Mega Man's stable, but after some... failed attempts with that, he had to ask the computer to order him a taxi delivered to his residence. He just hoped Mega Man had enough money to cover the damage he did. They should just use horses if they didn't want things to get damaged. Horses were smarter. A horse would have stopped before it hit a wall.

Then trying to get the taxicab to go where he wanted was as difficult. He apparently didn't understand where 'Mega Man is being held' was. He was a robot, he had a Computer, how could he not know where Mega Man was? It was on all the news feeds, whatever those were. This was like trying to find a way out of a labyrinth with just a torch. He was forced to order the man to activate one of the news channels, so they could listen and find out where Mega Man exactly was. Then the cab driver said that since the area was out of his 'designated driving radius', the trip was going to cost extra. That was little matter to Link. He might as well have been trying to ride a mule up a mountain. So Link was stuck measuring the speed of their journey by the passing structures.

"You're sure this is the fastest we can go?" Link pleaded.

"The current speed is the maximum velocity designated for this skyway, as declared by the Transportation Department-"

"Yeah, yeah," Link interrupted his repeated spiel about how he couldn't go any faster because he wasn't programmed to.

"If you're interested in speed," the driver said, "Try visiting the Enzan Raceway. The Championship Cup racers fight for the glamour-"

"Oh, shut up," Link said. "Turn on the news feed again."

The humanoid torso stopped talking and hit a button on the dashboard. The voice of a man piped through the vehicle with a straight, no-nonsense tone.

"-words of the RAID director, in a press conference a few hours ago."

The voice then switched to a gruffer one.

"And we are completely committed to seeing justice served in this case. Mega Man has always been a thorn in our sides. We hate to say we knew this day would come when our so-called 'purveyor of justice' would finally get his comeuppance. It is time to realize that robots are not artificial people. They are tools made by men, for men. The so-called 'smartness' of these machines is just an illusion created by people like Dr. Wily. They want to turn planet Earth into more metal than dirt."

"That's not true!" Link said. "Mega Man is a-"

The man kept talking though, oblivious of Link's attempts to communicate.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Link said angrily.

"Yes?" the cab driver replied.

"Not you. That guy!" he pointed to the dashboard.

"That's a one-way communication, son. You can hear him, he can't hear you."

"Oh." Link, practically out of his seat with anger, slumped back down against the backrest.

"That's why they call 'em broadcasts. They send out the signal from one area, and then all of us pick it up and play it back. Didn't you learn that in school?"

"I never really had a formal education."

The cab driver shrugged, and the anti-robot speaker continued his drivel, to which Link listened closely.

"The real revolution is upon us. Not one deigned by its creator to control robots for the purposes of world domination. Oh, no. This will come from the robots themselves. The next generation is already here. When they can think for themselves, speak for themselves, and now, attack humans for themselves. And any humans who sympathize with them will find themselves on the losing side of the war. For as soon as their opposition is wiped out, all 'natural' intelligent life will be eliminated. And Mega Man is just the beginning. He needs to be eliminated first. As a sign that we, the people of earth, born naturally, are not going to sit here while our world is overrun by these things."

The voice switched again, back to the commanding tone of before.

"That was Crane Funaking, leader of the anti-robot coalition, RAID, in a speech delivered outside his headquarters earlier today. For those of you just joining us, this speech was brought on by the apparent arrest of Mega Man, six-time defender of the world, and robot, who was accused of assaulting citizens in front of precinct thirteen. He is currently being held at the robot detainment facility, at which robots protestors are gathering. Pro-robot organizations are now calling up their members to fill the balance outside the facility. Already several clashes have broken out, but were stopped quickly by police. The Chief Law Enforcement division is now sending out riot squads to stop any uprisings before they happen. As the number of demonstrators outside Mega Man's holding cell increases, we may very well see a riot before very long, said Chief Muggins."

"A riot!" Link said. "I have to get there now!"

"Well, there it is down there." The cab dipped low and peeled off the skyway. The number of cars and modernization of the landscape had dwindled to structures with a maximum of two stories. The hover-cab floated down near the outside of a fenced building, surrounded on the perimeter with chain-mail walls and curly wires at the top. Link pulled the door handle open but it wouldn't budge. The driver turned around and held out his hand. "The price of the trip is 120 units. Please give me your cash card or other currency."

Units? What was a unit? Link thought it was rupees. Roll explained those cards were just replacements for physical money. Well, a rupee was a unit of money. He picked out a selection of red rupees and shoved them in the driver's rubbery hand.

"Hey, what's this?" he exclaimed as Link tried the door again.

"They're the same. A red's worth twenty here still, isn't it? Come on, open the door."

"I cannot accept this as currency."

"Look, that's the last money I have. Just let me out."

"Unless you accept the charges, I will be forced-"

"Hiya!"

Link wound up his big boot and thrust it at the window. The pane of glass popped open in one piece. He dove out onto the dusty ground, arms first, and rolled to a stop. Leaving the cab driver contemplating what in the world Link had just given him, he sprinted along the fence to a collection of people and vehicles at the entrance.

He ran past the big bulky humans, dressed in black fatigues and helmets with visors that covered their faces.

One of them held out his hand, to which Link skidded to a stop. "Whoa, there, where you going son?"

"Inside," he panted. "Got to... get to... friend."

"All right, the entrance is that way, where those guys are." He helpfully pointed out. Link sped off, overhearing the man say to another. "He's going to get his friend. The fewer of these zealots there are, the better."

"Yeah, bloody 'freedom to demonstrate' amendment," the other said. The rest of the conversation was lost when he went out of earshot.

The Hylian arrived at a section of the fence portioned out and replaced with a metal archway, similar to the one he'd seen at the museum.

"Where's your sign?" said one of the two guards at the gate.

"No sign. Just need to get in there," he breathed.

"Whatever, just step through. Weapons check."

Link punched through the open-air doorway, which immediately sounded an alarm as soon as he breached it. He stopped just under the arc as the soldier on the other side, and two behind him approached.

"All right, hold it," said one of the guards behind him. Link spun to face him. "Whatcha got there? Phazer gun? Tear gas?"

"What?"

"Here," the one behind him said, pointing to his back. Link feeling the eyes on him, turned around in a battle stance. "Let's see that. Can't believe I missed it."

He withdrew the sword from his scabbard on his back. The hilt was hidden by his long hair, making it easier to misinterpret with a decorative accessory.

"A sword?" he was visibly taken aback by the archaic weapon. "Nah-uh, son, save it for the school play. Give it here."

"I am not giving you my sword."

"And you think I'm gonna let you in there, so you can start chopping off heads? Give it here or we're arrestin' you." He curled his fingers up, motioning for the blade.

"Think again, soldier."

"This is a stun-gun, here," He said, pulling it out of its holster at the hip. The two others did the same. "It's non-lethal, it'll knock you to the ground. And I'm authorized to use it against belligerents who don't comply with the rules. Now give it here."

Link darted his eyes around at his three foes, then smirked. "Stun this."

He whipped around faster than any human reaction could encompass, swiped his blade diagonally across and back once. The guns fell apart in two pieces from the hot metal that went through it. The one soldier blocking the entrance to the facility dropped to his knees. The two others backed away with their hands up.

Link held his sword behind him, concentrating his might. "Here's what I think of your security." Magic might not have worked in this world, but that didn't mean he still couldn't perform the maneuver. Focusing his strength he whipped around in a 360 degree spin, slicing the archway in two. Sparks burst out from the cracks. The upper portion slid off and fell on the ground with a thud. This demonstration finished, he sheathed his sword, hopped over the debris, and ran down to the crowd of people holding signs in front of the one-story rectangular building stranded in the field. "Sorry!" he yelled as he left.

The guards rose up from their cowardly positions slowly and opened their eyes. "Well? Stop him!" one said.

The guard closest to the fray took off after Link. The two others stepped up to their broken security door.

"How did he do that?" one said as he scratched his head, "That was pure titanium."

The other just shrugged.

Link, seeing one of the guards was hot on his trail and speaking into a box as he ran, quickened his pace toward the crowds. Two groups were separated, facing each other, being blocked off by wooden horses and guards with glass shields. For a brief moment, Link thought such a thing, if implementable, would be a fantastic idea. The separation created a convenient walkway for him to reach the door. Unfortunately, the soldiers, apparently having been contacted telepathically by the one pursuing him, broke ranks and two headed toward him. Thinking fast, he disappeared in the sea of bright colors and throngs of upheld signs at the right. He melded well into the mob shouting obscenities at the door. The police, having lost track of him, started muscling through the people. It wasn't as easy for them as it was for Link, who's small size allowed him to dart in and out of the spaces in between. The police only shoved aside those in their way, who were apparently oblivious and stayed as excellent blocks.

Link, utilizing his agility to its max, busted through the masses, guessing what direction was the best to head for. As long as he could see the dead gray of the building ahead of him in the gaps of the mob, he thought he was going in the right direction. Rolling under a tall man's legs, he reoriented himself and hopped onto the steps of the holding facility. Knocking furiously on the door with both fists, he pleaded, "Open up, please, please, please, open up, now, please!" He whipped his head back, seeing the black guards were walking toward him, holding out their weapons.

"Hey, look!" one of the picketers called out, pointing up to Link. "He's breakin' in!"

"Crud," Link muttered. Like a landslide of thick mud they flowed towards the door and up the stairs, swallowing up the police guards. Link saw a vision of an immediate future of pain about to wash over him.

Suddenly, the door opened, sliding up. Link fell forward, but was caught from impact by a pair of arms that grabbed his and pulled him inside. The door nearly cut the heels off his boots as it shut the instant he was in, though he could hear the pounding of the masses threatening to break it down.

"I told you he's a friend of mine," a familiar feminine voice stated. Link looked up at his savior.

"Roll!" he yelled in relief. "You have no idea-"

"How much you owe me. Don't worry. You can make it up later," she winked. She turned to a police guard sitting behind a sectioned off desk near the door, monitors lined up in a row. He was clothed in a different, less threatening uniform without the helmet. He was watching a TV screen showing the situation outside. "How is it?" Roll asked.

"They won't break in. But a riot is about a minute from breaking out, I'd wager."

"Great," she moaned.

"What? What's going on?" Link asked.

Roll held a hand out to the man and said, "This is the captain of the facility. We're keeping an eye outside to see if things get worse."

"Where's Mega Man? I heard he was going to get lynched."

"He's fine. He's still in his holding cell. We figured that was the best place for him now. But he's been released."

"He has?" Link smiled.

"Well, not released," said the captain, "But he's been found in the clear."

Roll continued. "There wasn't enough evidence to hold him. No one got hurt directly by the Mega Man clone. And they have his and my records of where we were during the attack, plus alibis from the plant in New Mexico."

"But we can't let him out of here," the captain said. "Those protestors would tear him apart. They're already set to tear each other apart."

Roll nodded. "We're working on a plan to get those people away from the door so we can get Mega Man out of here."

"Can't he teleport away?"

Roll shook her head. "Tachyon field in a mile radius. It's usually for everyone else's protection so robots don't escape. Kind of ironic that it's for his right now."

"How about a back exit? Is there another way out of here?"

Roll shook her head again.

"Underground? Are there any tunnels? Passageways? Secret trap doors?"

Roll shook her head again.

"How about a disguise?" he pointed at the captain, "Could we dress him up like a guard and escort him out?"

"They'd spot him the instant he comes out with us. People would instantly suspect something. He's got a pretty recognizable robot figure. Hard to disguise those boots."

"Um," Link racked his brain. "Are there any transports going out? Perhaps we could put him in a food barrel and ship him out?"

"Actually," Roll said, "About the only way out is through that door. The other is a fire exit, and that only opens by computer command when there's a fire."

Link grimaced, having his brain drained of immediate ideas.

Roll looked up at the ceiling, as if talking to the building. "This place was designed to keep robots in, not let them out. Robots don't have the same rights as humans, they don't need food delivered daily, they don't need beds or plumbing or open air. They need four strong walls and no possible way to escape unless they're allowed. This place was designed for keeping robots in, not letting them out."

"It sure is," Link scoffed. He turned back outside, listening to the pounding and scuffling grow louder, but farther away.

The captain said, "Looks like the guards have got them off the steps. Thank god for small things."

Link, still glaring warily at the door, said, "Do they even know he's been set free?"

Roll replied, "Would they even listen if we told them? Mob mentality is too strong for us. It's strange. People in masses become stronger and more unwavering in their opinions than they would be alone."

"They're idiots. Zealots," the captain said. "Just following one idiot with enough charisma to make people listen. We wouldn't be where we are if it wasn't for robots."

Link was confused, "But you're the guard of a robot prison?"

"Robot holding facility. Not quite a prison. It's for robots accused of crimes before they stand trial. And just because I run it doesn't mean I believe robots should be eliminated. Those fundamentalists want to go back to eating tree bark. We wouldn't have evolved past making fire if it wasn't for technology. And we won't be able to advance any further if we don't keep developing. Just some people think robots should be kept dumb. They especially set their sights on Mega Man. They think he's too powerful for his own good. All they needed was something like this to set them off."

Link nodded. "I don't understand their problem. This Dr. Wily is the one who they really should be afraid of. And he's just like them. That's why he wants to assert control over all robots. If it wasn't for Mega Man, there'd be someone like Dr. Wily ruling this world right now."

"Right, but if it wasn't for Dr. Wily, there wouldn't be a Mega Man."

"Wait, what?" Link arched his eyebrow.

"Since Dr. Wily created Mega Man-"

"He did what!" Link looked to Roll incredulously. She simply shrugged. "Dr. Wily... created Mega Man?"

"Partially," Roll said meekly, yet confidently. "With Dr. Light as his partner. They also created me. And a handful of other robots that he used for the first robot revolution. The others were of his own design."

"I never knew that," he said.

"I thought you did," Roll said.

Link cast his eyes up to the heavens. He felt like he should have been more shocked, but with all the revelations he'd been exposed to, maybe his sense of surprise was becoming dulled. Perhaps it was the combination of disclosure and unresovable sadness of the situation. Not only did Mega Man have to fight against his fellow robots, he also had to fight against his creator. Much like Ganondorf was the cause of his inauguration. They were more similar than he ever thought. He felt an inexplicable bond with the poor mechanical man down there in that cell. Even more resolutely, he was determined to find some way to help him. No matter what the cost.

Link turned and approached the door. "Open it."

"What?" the captain said.

"Open it. This is the only way we're getting out of here, and there's only one way to make it accessible. Do it."

The captain looked at Roll, who shrugged, having no more notion what he was doing than anyone. He raised his eyebrows and sighed, flicking some switches to unlock the partition.

Link knew what he was doing. He was scared to death, but that wasn't stopping him. It never did before. He knew a hundred people under the influence of their own high horse was more of a threat than ten Ganons. And there was no weapon he had that could defend against a riot if it grew to one.

The door slid up, the commotion of the shouting picketers was near overwhelming. Link immediately stepped out so they could shut the door behind him. Upon the sight of the boy, they thrust their picket signs at him, shouted obscenities, while the guards did their best to hold them back.

"Wait," Link said. "Stop! Stop!" He shouted as best he could over the din, but their voices were so sonorous no one could hear him, even if they wanted to. "Stop! Listen! Listen to me!" he tried again. It appeared the people wanted to shout and a raise a ruckus more than they wanted to listen to someone who possibly knew what was going on.

Seeing no point in trying to contend voice against voice with a hundred people, Link twisted his body to fish a bomb out of his knapsack. He lit it and tossed it way above the heads of the masses. The blue globe spun end over end and exploded at the peak of the launch, looking like a decorative firework. The people stopped their shouting and looked up above, half in fright, half in awe.

In their split-second of silence, Link immediately seized the opportunity to be heard. "Mega Man is innocent!" he shouted. The mob listened to him, stilling their cardboard signs. "He is not guilty. Dr. Wily is. He built a clone of Mega Man and sent it after you. It wasn't even to hurt people, it was just to get them out of the way so he could move his stolen technology."

"So what? He's dangerous!" a crowd man shouted. The masses began murmuring, threatening to explode again.

Link quelched it. "You're dangerous. You can kill people. Mega Man's no more dangerous than you."

"He can't be controlled!" another patron called out. The crowd muttered positive grunts along with this.

"Can you?" Link yelled back. "I know there's no difference between humans and robots. They may have different bodies, but if Mega Man wasn't famous, could you tell him from other humans on the street? When he came to my world, I couldn't tell the difference between him as a man or a machine. He fooled me. He convinced me he was just as good as human by his mannerisms and his personality, and his helping attitude towards others. Even after he tried to explain it to me, I still didn't believe he wasn't real. He's saved your world countless times from oppression by robots, by fighting against his own kind. Because he sees something in you that's worth saving. He's never asked for anything in return but acceptance. And you can't even give him that. No, this is how you repay him. By standing ready with a rope and a branch the moment he makes one mistake. A mistake he didn't even commit! He's been set free, but you won't let him free because you refuse to listen to the truth. He risks his own life for you. Stopping that madman."

"But he always comes back!" an unknown replied.

"He's useless," another said.

"Useless? If he wasn't there in the first place, you'd be dead. Forget whether he comes back or not. Mega Man stops Dr. Wily every time he threatens your world, and just because he's never been able to put him away for good, you'd sacrifice your hero? You'd be defenseless, you realize? Who would take Mega Man's place?" He started pointing to random people in the crowd. "You? Or you? Would you do it? _Could_ you do it? Mega Man is the best because he needs to be. So you can have a future. He's not the one who started this but he's the one who can end it. We all have choices to make, and he chose to give up his choices so you would be free, so you could live in peace. He's locked into his fate, so you could decide your own. You can make your own choice, a choice to live your life the way you want. But he sacrificed his. You might think he doesn't care because he's a robot. But the people around him who appreciate him do care. They're the ones that feel the hurt when you do this. But Mega Man does have a heart. Otherwise, he would never put up with you. If I were treated like this where I come from, I would have abandoned you a long time ago." He paused for a breath. "I wish I could be half the man he is."

He paused for a moment to let that sink into the crowd. With one last poignant line left, he said, "If you want to condemn him, do it for things he's done, not for what he is."

The protestors on both sides kept their eyes straight on Link, for the most part, some of them darted around, some looked at the ground, but no one said a word. That was what astonished Link the most. Up to that point. Then he saw a young boy in the middle of the crowd drop his anti-robot sign angrily on the ground and shove those around him aside so he could leave. Those in his way let him go.

Link was amazed when he saw the people were actually listening to him. After coming from a world where people were so divided, caught in the net of their own misbeliefs about witchcraft, science, and the way things were, he was surprised to find that he had actually made a valid, unarguable point. Link had never successfully persuaded someone at home that their idea was wrong, so he was beside himself with his own disbelief. At the precedence of the boy, a few others dropped their signs and left the crowd. Link was not sure whether they were dejected at being defeated or being proven wrong.

Someone among the mob clapped his hands together once. And then again. Then others started picking up the beat. Soon the clapping evolved into full on applause. Some members started chanting, "Mega! Mega!" faster and faster, a tribute to their hero who they had not seen until their eyes were open. The entire yard in front of the holding facility was abuzz with ovation and chanting "Mega! Mega! Mega!" with fists pumping in the air.

Link, smiling from ear-to-ear, turned around to go back in and tell Roll the good news. But to his surprise, the door was already open, and Roll was standing there with her arm around her brother, who was looking down at the ground sadly.

He perked his head up at hearing the positive sound of the crowd, apparently expecting something different. He stepped out beside Link and the crowd went wild, cheering and rooting for their champion.

"Are we okay?" Mega Man asked.

"Oh, yeah," he smirked. "I think we're good."

He looked once more over the crowd and then back to Link. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Just save the world one more time for us." He then told Mega Man everything Dr. Wily had told him, making very sure to precisely disclose all the technical terms he'd tried so hard to remember when the crazy doctor was rattling them off.

"An imbalance collider, a photonic density carrier, and an inverser, hmm. Those don't exactly sell well at the convenience store."

Roll said, "There's probably only three places that have those, and he probably has robot masters there already, if he was audacious enough to tell you his plan."

"And probably the same ones he sent after me," Mega Man said. "We can't let Wily fulfill his plan, so we need to get moving."

"Wait," Roll said. "If they're still using their energy shields then you don't stand a chance against them, no matter what you do."

"Then we'll need someone who fights a bit more physically than myself." He looked hopefully at Link, the same way Link looked at him in Hyrule. "There are three possible places where those pieces of technology exist. One of them is the Ultratech factory. It's currently the biggest technology factory in existence. The other two are the Lasseter Hydroelectric Plant and the space station."

"Space station?" Link asked.

"Uh, it's... I'll explain later." If Link wasn't sure what a planet was, he was going to have a hard time explaining space, and all the following questions therein. "The factory is closest. We'll take a Mach Jet and head there." He turned to his sister. "Roll, contact those places and see what their status is. Let them know what's going on."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," she held out her hand. "If you think I'm just going to stay here and play secretary to you, you're dead wrong."

"Sorry, Roll, it's too dangerous right now. In times before, we knew what Dr. Wily was doing and his pieces were already in place. This time we have the chance to nip him in the bud. But we have no idea how to predict the circumstances."

"You said you weren't going to leave me out now that I'm capable of defending myself."

"Not this time. If it was another time, maybe, but it's not just the danger. We need to keep an eye at the home base to keep tabs on Dr. Wily, see if he does anything, if he fulfills his plan. You'd be the last line of defense."

Roll clenched her hands in anger, suppressing her rage at being lied to. Her silence though, acknowledged her acquiescence to her brother's will.

Mega Man turned back to Link. "Are you ready?"

"Almost."

"Almost? What else do you need?"

"We need to go back home and change my clothes, of course. What else would I quest in?"

**Next Chapter: Roll Call**


	17. Chapter 49: Roll Call

_Chapter 49: Roll Call_

If Roll could slam the door behind her she would. The sliding mechanism made it difficult to take anger out on inanimate objects. She had just said goodbye to Mega Man and Link, off on another whirlwind adventure. Why was he was he taking a human over her? He hadn't demonstrated any skills that she'd seen. He hadn't any plasma blaster, any robot strength. He was even complaining about his non-existent magic that he subsisted on in order to fight. Something about rods and potions. More weirdness.

Why? When she could fight at the same level as Mega Man. Not just one, but two laser weapons, armor, helmet that could feed her information and statistics. So what if she looked like she was built out of stuff found in the garage... which actually, she was. But she was ready. She was dying to test out her skills, and she hadn't even had that opportunity yet. She so wanted to see what Mega Man always talked about. She wanted to experience that thing he called 'thrill' for herself. When Dr. Light upgraded her, he must've put in an amplified desire program in her A.I. because she was definitely feeling some.

But Mega Man had said his piece, over and over again, and left Roll back here to tend the fort, look after Dr. Light, look out for Dr. Wily, blah, blah, blah. All of it was meaningless. Dr. Light just needed time to heal. He was fine in the hospital, and what would Dr. Wily need him for anyway. Wily wouldn't do anything until he was finished with his plan, or Mega Man stopped him, whichever happened first. And it was usually the latter that would. And Roll was going to have no part of that.

But she did have one important thing that Mega Man told her to do, contact the space station and make sure they were all right. The remote location made it so it might have a chance to prepare a defense if informed early enough. Wily would be hard-pressed to get a robot master up there to terrorize the people and obtain his prize. He had done it before though. If he had access to hundreds of robots, he could definitely build a rocket, or some other space-faring vehicle as a private citizen.

She sat down at the nearest terminal and accessed the communication program, entering NASA/DSMA as her destination. The terminal connected the lines and brought up a menu full of options. With a little navigation she selected the Phoenix Space Station in orbit as her recipient for the call. While it connected, Tango the cat pawed up to her seat at the console. Roll looked down at her. "Hey, Tango. You wanna come up?"

"Mew?" it said in a perfect imitation of a cat.

Roll patted her lap, indicating that she wanted Tango to jump on. The cat sat on her haunches and sprang up onto her knee. Roll closed her legs together, giving a more cohesive platform, and Tango sat down comfortably.

As she waited for the communication to finish up the handshaking protocol she lovingly stroked Tango behind the ears, thinking what a good battle assistant she could have been. "Oh, Tango, what am I gonna do with you?"

"Mreow."

"Do you think Mega Man's ever going to let me fight at his side? Maybe it's just because he's never seen what I can do. I'm not even a hundred percent sure of my own potential myself. I know he's always lamenting about how he has to be the only one to serve justice. But why does he want to bear that burden alone? Why doesn't he understand that he doesn't have to be alone? He's got people here that love him and don't want to see him suffer. I know he can do it, and he knows he can do it, but why not make it easier?"

Tango turned her head to the side and rested it on her paws.

"This Link must be something pretty special if Mega Man wanted him to be his partner. Maybe it's because he has more experience. I just hope he doesn't forget his friends here. I don't want him to turn out like Pr-"

Finally, the screen displayed a green 'connected' dialog, to which Roll acknowledged and observed what looked like the command center for the station, with several other metal computer consoles in the background on an observation deck. A middle-aged man with bright eyes in a NASA/DSMA uniform was leaning forward on the screen, resting one arm on the desk.

"Space Station Phoenix."

"Hello, is this Commander Lexington I'm speaking with?"

"Says so right there." He pointed to the lapel of his shirt which read his last name in block letters.

"Yes, I see," Roll said, not amused at all. "This is Roll at the Dr. Light manor. I'm calling to inquire about your current condition. Have you been keeping tabs at all on the current situation?"

"Not so much, other than Dr. Wily is on the loose again. But, hey, when doesn't that happen, right?"

She gave a faked courtesy laugh. "Right. We believe that Dr. Wily is planning to build some sort of super-intelligent robot, possibly using human brainpower. One of the pieces of equipment that he needs to complete the process is on your station - an inverser."

"No kidding? He wants our inverser? Well, how about that."

Roll arched her eyebrow at the glib manner the commander was taking on. "There haven't been any attempts to breach the station by unauthorized means, have there?"

"Nope."

"Well, I would increase your security to full red alert if you can. Dr. Wily is undoubtedly going to make an attempt to seize the station if he hasn't already done so. As soon as Mega Man is finished taking care of business on Earth, he'll be taking the next available transport up there."

"Well, that's great, but I don't think that'll be really necessary."

"And why's that?"

He spread his arms out and laughed. "Look at us. We're just a science station. We've got sensors and monitors up everywhere. We've got ultra HLE radar, sonar, every tracking system you can think of. If Dr. Wily even sneezes, we'd see it. We've got all the necessary security bots, we've got the trip lasers. We grow our own food. We can subsist for six months without needing resupply from earth. There's no way we wouldn't see him coming from ten light-years away."

"That's great and all, but I really think you should prepare for the worst. Dr. Wily has set his sights on space before," she said, recalling Star Man.

Commander Lexington dismissed her with a foppish wave of his hand. "Don't worry little lady. If Dr. Wily does decide to attack us, you'll be the first to know."

Suddenly, the screen darkened to a bath of infra-red repetitive flashing. The commander's face changed from arrogance to shock as he looked around. Lines of static randomly wiped out the screen.

"Hello? Hello? Commander?" Roll asked.

The commander, now oblivious to her, stood up from his chair, and yelled, "What the hell was that? What's going on?"

Roll's sensitive hearing picked up shrieks and screams in the background, patterned with the unmistakable sound of plasma blasts. Her eyes widened.

"Commander! Get out of there now!" she shouted.

The screen was now half static, she doubted he could hear her. "Wily! Get everyone to shelter!" came an off-screen voice.

"It's too late!" came a voice in the background. "He's taken the station. Everything's gone nuts!"

"Run! Run!"

"Escape pods!"

"You've got---- no time----- contact----"

Roll practically grabbed the screen. "Come in, Commander!"

"AIEEEEE!"

The screen changed to complete static. Then a message stating the communication was interrupted.

The reality of the situation sunk in quickly to the female robot. Wily already had his hands on the station. He was up there right now, taking it over, and Mega Man wasn't around to do a thing about it. People were dying. And he couldn't do anything cause he wasn't here. He was somewhere else, trying to prevent more people dying. And the only reason people were dying was because he couldn't be in two places at once.

She could do something about it though. She was capable. But no, she couldn't do anything either. Rock said she had to stay here and monitor things. Well, that's what she was doing, dammit, and it wasn't helping anything. She was sitting here watching people die. And she had the ability to do something. Why did Mega Man have to say that? Why was she stuck here?

And then it dawned on her. She didn't need to. She had free will now. She could take matters into her own hands, regardless of orders. If Mega Man was here, he would probably tell her to get up and save those people, stop Dr. Wily before it was too late. She had the will, she had the way. She could do it. This was her opportunity. This was her chance to prove to Mega Man that she was now his equal. That space station needed saving. And boy, were they going to be surprised when she was the one who did it.

"Tango," she commanded with excitement and grandeur in her voice. "Go get my helmet. We're going in."

Tango jumped off her lap, landing soundlessly on the floor, and flopped on her stomach with her paws lazily hanging in the air.

"Tango! I- forget it." She had to keep reminding herself she was not Rush. She was going to have to talk to Dr. Light about adjusting that cat's A.I. a little bit when he got back.

For now, she reopened the communication to NASA/DSMA, but instead selected the ground control. The pick-up was almost immediate.

"NASA/DSMA ground control."

"This is Roll. I need you to schedule an emergency tether transport to Space Station Phoenix."

"How soon?"

"Immediately!"

* * *

Mega Man and Link climbed down from the descended ladder and walked forward, away from the gray VTOL jet. This structure was like nothing Link had ever seen before, but it didn't strike him as being that far removed from a temple. The compound was set around a rectangular perimeter. Occupying most of the right side was a large glass building, but unlike other temples, this one was completely rectangular. Nothing special or indicative of what kind of temple it was. Most shrines had statues, or animal structures to them, meant to guard the gates from intruders. Not here. Just a big glass box that reflected the cloudy light coming down from the sky.

The left half compiled several different structures, some cylindrical and tall, some small and box-like. They looked like they had singular purposes, such as storing or factory processing.

"This is Ultratech," Mega Man said, coming alongside him. "Largest manufacturer of technology in the world. If anyone has a photonic density carrier, it's them."

"So, what? We just go in and ask them if they still have one?"

The doors to the glass compound opened up and people began spraying outward, screaming and flailing their arms in the air. They looked panicked, and with good reason. Bubble bats and other flying robots were attacking them, fluttering over their shoulders and firing laser blasts in the dirt, shrieking bat-like sounds emanating from their vocal synthesizers.

"I think we'll have to do more than that," Mega Man said.

"I knew it wasn't going to be that easy."

One young lady in a business skirt, screaming in terror came closer to them as a round bat, like the ones Link had seen in the tunnel, flexed it's jagged mouth, ready land in her hair and take a bite out. Mega Man aimed his arm cannon and fired, striking the target true and evaporating the enemy in a flash of light.

Mega Man thanked his lucky stars those things didn't have energy shields on. "It's nice to have something explode for a change." He waved his hand to Link. "Let's go."

They shifted through the dispensing people, dodging and weaving in and out stealthily. Mega Man bounced high to avoid them, landing in open areas, and Link took the low road, maneuvering in between the people making it past. As they penetrated the fenced gate, the number of escapees thinned out.

"The density carrier would have to be housed in the reactor tower. There." He pointed to one of the dirty white flat cylinders in the compound. Link nodded and the two of them headed down that way. Enemy robots, both humanoid and abstract, were wandering around the entrance of the tower, apparently guarding it. Mega Man sniped them from a distance with his plasma blaster, easily taking them out with one or two shots.

"These are just small fries," Mega Man said as they ran. "The real meat's inside. As you get closer and closer, they get stronger and stronger."

"I know that story," Link commented. Fighting robots was nothing he wanted to jump into too quickly after his disastrous first encounter. But Mega Man was finishing them off quickly, and Link hadn't even pulled out his shield yet.

The blue robot, having cleared a way, pried the door open with his inhuman strength. Inside, the smell of oil and metal saturated the air. They looked around cautiously, up and down, looking for attackers. A flock of orange flying daggers with large eyes and spinning gyros hovered in.

"Run!" Mega Man said. "Split up, divide them."

Link dodged to the side, making his way to some large piece of equipment. Half the orange bots went after him, pointing their gyros threateningly. Mega Man bounded in the air, firing off half a dozen plasma shots. They all hit true and eliminated the threat.

"Come on, up we go." Mega Man headed off deeper into the heart of the tower and Link followed him. He took hold of a ladder and scooted up it quickly. Link did the same, arriving at a higher platform. With more robots patrolling the area dumbly, Mega Man made short work of them. Several yards later they came across some shallow pits housing turtle bots. The one closest launched grenades into the air. At their apex they sprouted parachutes and floated above the heroes' heads.

"Scatter!" Mega Man commanded.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Link said as he dove away, opposite Mega Man.

The grenades hit the ground and made a minor explosion that harmed nobody. Link unfastened his shield and held it across his arm, ready to defend against the next onslaught. Mega Man jumped across the gap, turned around and fired at the turtle-bot. It absorbed shot after shot, but finally exploded. He turned around and did the same to the next turtle-bot waiting for him, just before it fired off two grenades.

Meanwhile, Link had climbed down the platform and back to Mega Man's side. They traversed down the corridor and back to another ladder, which they promptly climbed up. Link could see they were getting pretty far from the floor, and it was no wonder for all the climbing they'd done so far.

This area had several open pits on a platform. They were jumpable by Link, but it would take all his leg strength. Mega Man bounced into the air over the first pit and an alligator mouth jumped up and bit him in the leg. Mega Man flashed electrically and fell back on the ground at Link's feet.

"Acck," he said. "Need to watch for that."

Mega Man inched forward to the pit and the alligator robot jumped up, clamping its teeth at whatever it could find, which was nothing. Mega Man took the distraction at its best moment and shot the jumping jaws. Link, hiding strategically behind his shield, jumped the gap after Mega Man had cleared the way. Mega Man inched forward again, triggering the alligator's reflex, causing it to attack nothing, and get blown up in the process. They both jumped the gap again, and repeated the process.

They opened a factory door into the next room, suddenly inundated with noise. There were spikes all along the floor of the factory, and the only way across was via the conveyer belts placed at varying heights, and going all sorts of directions.

"Watch your step here," Mega Man said.

"No problem."

Mega Man jumped on first. The textured metal carried the robot off forward speedily, he jumped off at the end of the belt and onto the next one at a higher elevation. Link did the same, except the sudden speed of the conveyer belt took him off his feet and he landed hard on his back.

Mega Man gasped and tried running back towards him, but the tread's direction prevented him from gaining any ground.

Link, fortunately, bolted back up and jumped on at the last second, grabbing it by his hands. The belt helpfully pulled him up the rest of the way. "No problem," Link said.

They ran forward and hopped on the next belt, that was carrying back towards them. Mega Man jumped forward, avoiding the backtracking of the belt. Link, however, couldn't find his footing, running forward desperately, trying to avoid falling into the spiky death. Mega Man grabbed his hand and helped him along.

Suddenly, he saw a hard-hatted mettool heading towards him, being carried steadily on the conveyer, still in its shell. Mega Man jumped over it with ease. "Watch out," he called back.

"For a helmet?" Link said.

The mettool popped up from its yellow helmet, showing its bright childlike eyes and squidlike snout. A welder tool fired a small spark of electricity at Link's boot, giving him a hotfoot.

"Yeowch!" Link hopped up in the air nearly as high as Mega Man reached and landed right next to him. The stationary yellow robot turned around but then fell off the belt.

"That's a mettool," Mega Man said. "They're everywhere. Watch out for those."

The belt they were on now was a longer one that headed into a tunnel. Stomping pillars were placed at intermittent spaces, crushing whatever happened to pass by into paste.

"We need to time this exactly," Mega Man said, walking backwards to counteract the ebb of the tide.

"Can do," Link said, watching the pounding pillars. Timed traps were nothing new to him. The pillar nearest them slammed down, and Mega Man treaded towards it. As soon as it popped up, Mega Man slid under and Link sprinted across, nearly getting his tunic slashed off. The next pillar rose, and they slid under it again. There was only one more, and the pair darted under it easily. They emerged into a new room with a single door.

Link brushed the sweat off his brow. "Easy," Link said. He couldn't believe this was the sort of thing Mega Man had to deal with. Everything was so straightforward, just get from point A to point B, avoid getting smashed. Not a single key, obstructed passage, or wall was blocking his way so far.

Link smiled, "If this is all you have to deal with, I'll switch worlds with you."

Mega Man also smiled, knowing he wasn't serious.

"Where next?" Link asked.

"This door may reveal something. I think it might lead to the geo-plant level."

"Meaning we're getting closer?"

"Meaning we're getting closer, and there are going to be tougher bots down there. Let me go first."

Mega Man hit some keys next the door, which shifted up into the wall. He bounced through the doorway with his arm cannon drawn, darting left and right with it in anticipation of a surprise attack. With a final glance upward he rested his firing arm and said, "I think-"

Mega Man suddenly heard an unusual echo of creaking metal coming from above. The door slammed shut in behind him, followed by the unmistakable sound of locking up, keeping Mega Man and Link apart.

**Next Chapter: Battlegrounds**


	18. Chapter 50: Battlegrounds

_Chapter 50: Battlegrounds_

"Uh, Mega Man?"

Link padded the silver metal wall, blocking any further access. He knocked on it, expecting some window to slide down and the robot's face to appear.

"Mega Man? You there? Can you hear me?" He pounded even louder on the slab, but it was like trying to damage a pillow. "Mega?"

Okay, this was not good. He was completely separated from Mega Man, and trapped in a little room. He needed some help. "Computer! Locate Mega Man for me and make a communication."

Nothing.

"Computer, respond."

Nothing.

"Computer?"

Okay, now this had just been upgraded to desperate emergency. No Mega Man, no way to contact him, no Computer to tell him what to do, no way out of here, and no way to fight dozens of invulnerable monsters. He couldn't go back the way he came, the direction of the conveyer belt wouldn't allow him to get enough speed to avoid the crushing pillars. Unless that changed at some point he was trapped.

He ran his fingers along the seam of the door, checking for a weakness, or perhaps a failsafe mechanism. That yielded nothing. Then he realized the keypad was still there, but he had no idea what combination Mega Man had put in, and was cursing himself for not being more observant. Above there was no passage, just a ceiling, the same ugly metallic gray as everything else in this forsaken place. Was he gonna starve to death here?

No, no, it was way too early to think about giving up like that. He hadn't exhausted nearly all his options. Of course, what did he do when he was prevented with an inescapable room? He pulled out his handy-dandy door-maker - the bomb.

Yanking out a globe from the knapsack he set it in front of the door. Of course, there weren't a lot of places in this space to hide from an explosion, so it was a bit risky. As soon as he lit the fuse, he ran to the farthest corner of the room, pulled his shield to his back and held his hands over his neck, creating a makeshift shell, the best he could do.

The bomb went off in a red booming blast. Link peeked out from over the top of his shield to see if any damage had been done. As soon as the smoke dissipated he found that not even a scratch was made, just a black jagged scorch mark. Plus the fact that the explosion had ripped the keypad out of the wall, where it was hanging by a single wire. Link cursed his luck and stood up, ready to walk over to the door again. The bomb did nothing but make his life worse, and he was running out of them as well.

Suddenly he tripped over his own feet and fell flat on his face. Instantaneously, he looked back for what he had tripped over.

There was some sort of square indentation in the floor, about the width of a person, and a small green light near the bottom. It looked like something like a block should be inserted there, probably some sort of trigger trap or access point.

As he was fingering the light, it switched to blue and part of the floor popped out to show what looked like a handle. Link, not really knowing how else to proceed, wrapped his fingers around it, and the floor made a hissing, vibrating sensation. He pulled the handle up, and the section of the floor gave apart in his hand, revealing a hatch. Link breathed a sigh of relief at this new development, not looking forward to being found as a green-clad skeleton centuries later.

The hatch led to a ladder, somewhere on a floor below, down to nothing recognizable. As he climbed down he tried to think of how he was going to fight the hordes of robots no doubt gunning for him. Short of a lot of hiding, which he was not keen on, he wasn't sure how he could do it. Well, he was able to incapacitate the Mega Man clone in the mining tunnel, but that was just for a second and he was soundly whipped after that. Plus that was utilizing a bomb, and he had to conserve those now. Unfortunately, his only trump card was in scant supply here.

He reached the bottom floor and found himself in a room full of unrecognizable equipment, and dangerous pits scattered about. He foresaw a quick death for himself if he was fighting and happened to stumble backwards into oblivion.

But so far, nothing was happening. His hand was cautiously on the hilt of his sword, ready to spring it forth if necessary. His eyes darted around in all directions.

As he predicted, he heard a mechanical whine coming from above. Two bubble bats were fluttering down from the rafters and exercising they're jaws. Link was expecting some heavy fire and held up his shield to his face, but they did not appear to be able to shoot plasma blasts.

The Hylian arched his arm back and pulled out his bow and an arrow, hoping to pick off a few of them before they got too close. With swift precision he fired at the leading attacker. The arrow zinged through the air and fluttered to the ground like a feather after undisruptively hitting the black exterior of the bat.

"Not good," Link said. Maybe if he still had silver arrows, but... no, not time for retrospect. Maybe a boomerang. No, same effect. Didn't he have anything? The hookshot? That would just draw them up to him. Was this the best he could do?

On impulse, he pulled out his ice rod. "Oh, baby, if there was ever a time for this to work, it's now." He extended his reach, pointed it at the ever-threatening group, and fired. The blue crystal at the end remained defunct.

"Urrk!" Link dove for the ground as the flock swooped down, trying to bite his head off. They passed by and rotated to make a return pass. Link used his failsafe plan.

He ran like the dickens.

He knew the bats were hot on his trail, and he did his best to stay away from them. Their airborne nature was the only thing letting him gain any ground on not being torn to shreds. He skidded around a large machine in the middle of the room and his pursuers kept right on after him. They would never get tired like he would. They would never need to get water or take a break. He couldn't taunt them or anger them into making a mistake. So he ran. Now he really saw first hand why it was so necessary to have robots fight robots.

He felt one nearly take off his hat, and he burst with speed in order to try and make it out of their range. But they were going to catch up eventually. Luckily, he saw an alcove hidden away in the machine and dove for it. Gripping the metal in his hands he pulled himself inside, cuddling into a square compartment deep in the heart of whatever this thing was. The bat-bots apparently couldn't or wouldn't follow him in here.

Link took the split moment to make a reality check of what was going on. Now he had a chance to regroup. He couldn't escape right now, being where he was. The best thing he could do was make a surprise attack. He looked up and saw the perfect opportunity to do that.

The top of this compartment was open, so he climbed out and withdrew his sword. The two bats were hovering around the machine at ground level, patrolling where they expected Link to come out. Time for him to take advantage. Link held his sword downward and leapt off the machine.

"Hiyaaaaa!" He headed with precision at the robot on the left and drove his sword deep down into its spherical body. The blade skewered through, screeching of metal on metal. Sparks and oily fluid flowed out like robot blood as the motor functions ceased. Link tumbled to the side as the bat did its best to fight back, but it was moot, as the sword fell on its side with a clang and the bat stopped flapping its wings.

The other foe, oblivious of his brother's demise, flew at Link. Reacting quickly, he grabbed the sword up of the floor. But he was nearly pulled to the ground by it. His blade was still nearly hilt deep in the heavy broken shell. As he ran Link tried to shake off the bat, but it was stuck tight, and he couldn't wave it fast enough with what felt like a iron ball on its end. With a little distance he tried to shove it off with his foot, but he didn't have the strength. And that bat was closing in on him.

Cursing, he dropped the sword and headed to a nearby ladder leading a up to a tower above the machine. The bat was right under Link's feet, and ready to climb up and hit him that way. But Link was having any of that. No more running for him. He turned around on the ladder and jumped off, onto the bat, screaming a ferocious battle cry.

The confused robot turned around as Link collapsed on him. Little did he know of the flying strength of these bats. The robot continued flying higher and Link nearly tumbled to the ground. He managed to get a grip on each of the bat's wings, and hung down off the ground like he was holding a flying bicycle.

The robot attempted to fly higher, as Link's eyes widened from the distance between him and the floor. He gripped on tighter, trying to shift his center of gravity up so the strain on his arms wasn't so great. The bat wriggled and wiggled as best it could, but Link held on for dear life.

Link pulled on one of the wings, and the flier spun around in the direction Link wanted him to go, but that wasn't stopping the attempts to try and fight him off. Link swung his legs back and forth, adding inertia to his own will of direction. They were headed straight for a wall at a rapid pace, diving like a dropping bomb.

Link managed to bring his knees up to his stomach, tucking himself in, and pressed the soles of his boots against the helpless robot's back. Just as they were about to impact against the wall, Link pushed away in a backflip, shoving the robot further into the wall in a burst of speed and throwing Link away from the ensuing explosion.

Link landed on his feet, with a hand gripping the floor, watching the black shrapnel raining down from the smoke cloud.

"Phew," Link sighed with relief. He'd rarely had a more difficult fight in his life, with the exception of some temple guardians and Ganondorf's minions. Those bats must've been some pretty advanced robots to give him such trouble.

He brushed himself off and headed to where he dropped his sword. With a little might, now that he was no longer under the desperation of being pursued, he yanked his blade out by pressing his foot on the bat. It slid out with a horrible screech, and he put it back in his scabbard. With this breath he looked around the room. The nearest doorway out was a wide gate covered in a ribbed metal sheet. It looked like the hangar, or a door to a stable.

As soon as he approached it, the door rolled back into the ceiling, shifting off a section at a time. Link walked under it and into a darkened hallway. No robots in here either, just another door at the end of the way. He couldn't really think of what purpose this hallway served, it seemed rather out of place. The door behind him shut, one section at a time. Finding no reason not to go forward, he headed to the next door. It shifted up and deposited him into a large empty room.

**Next Chapter: Robot Fighting Time**


	19. Chapter 51: Robot Fighting Time

_Chapter 51: Robot Fighting Time_

Mega Man's eyes filled with darkness as the entryway door slid back behind him, palling him in shadow, section by section. This was a passageway he had become all too familiar with - a long dark hallway, with only one locked way in and one locked way out. And there was only one, invariable thing waiting for him at the end of the hall. He usually knew who was waiting for him behind it.

When he got separated from Link, he'd tried everything to get back to him. He'd tried pushing his way, finding alternate routes, failsafing the lock, setting up an interface with the computer, none of it worked. He had no idea if Link was dead or alive by this point, but he imagined he was still trapped in that room, waiting for release. Thinking Link would be safe as long as he stayed there, he pressed on. He hadn't meant to come so far into the factory as to make contact with its boss, but it was the only available route to him. As soon as Mega Man was done disinfecting the plant from the rebel robots, and its associated master, he would be able to go back and fetch his Hylian friend. He was just going to have to sit tight until then.

Mega Man had never showed hesitation when entering the room of a robot master, and showed even less now. The faster he took care of this, the better. How exactly he was going to do that was beyond him. He had no master weapons and a substandard arm cannon with no charge. The odds of him winning were slim and none.

The door in front of him peeled up, section by section, flooding the passageway with light from some unknown source, revealing the large, square, empty room Mega Man had been expecting. The metallic sheen of the rest of the factory gleamed off the walls. This was where he always found the heart of the problem. In a metal box, housing a dangerous enemy.

As the door slid behind him, Mega Man slowly scanned the perimeter of the room for the robot master he knew had to be watching him. Sometimes they dropped down from the ceiling, sometimes they came out of the shrouding darkness, sometimes they teleported in. But there always was one. "Come out already. I know you're there," he said grimly.

"No patience, Rock. Your humanity lessens each time you take on our forces."

"Don't call me that. My name is Mega Man." He couldn't recognize the voice, but it was being piped in from some other location.

"Hmph, Dr. Wily calls you 'Rock', not 'Mega Man'. He says that there's nothing 'mega' about you. Of course, there are a few other choice items he calls you."

A red blur dropped down from above at the other end of the room, surprising Mega Man, though he did not show it. The blur landed on his feet and uncurled, stretching to his full form. His body looked similar to Mega Man's design, except his color scheme was red & black, and his crimson helmet covered all his head except for a slit in the middle, with a red crescent crest scowling his eyes at the forehead.

"Magnet Man." Mega Man announced. "Of course, only you would be able to resist the magneton waves from a photonic density carrier without getting your pathways scrambled."

"Well, I had a little help," he shrugged with fake humility. "But I'm glad you came to me first. I'll be the first robot to ever defeat you one on one."

"What makes you so certain of that? I took you on once, and annihilated you. You're just a carbon copy of an inferior robot past its time."

"Ah, ah," he waggled his finger, with one hand on his hip, "A carbon copy of an inferior robot with an impenetrable energy shield."

Damn, Mega Man had forgotten about that part. So it no longer mattered if his arm cannon was substandard and empty, it was useless anyway.

"I don't know how you expect to defeat me," Magnet Man said. "This will be Dr. Wily's finest hour."

"Sorry, Magnet Man. Don't think I'll fold that quickly. I'm made of sterner stuff than that."

"Your one weapon is useless," Magnet Man said incredulously. "What do you expect to do?"

"Let's find out." Mega Man backed up, putting weight on his back leg and readying his arm cannon.

"Very well." Magnet Man scowled and bounded into the air like a jolt of lightning. Mega Man knew Magnet Man couldn't jump that far that fast, he was propelling himself up using the magnetics of the metal in the room. Just when it looked like he was going to reach the ceiling he stopped in mid air and fired two magnet missiles out of his arm.

Mega Man's eyes widened as they came crashing down towards him at super speeds, large magnets being propelled by detonation missiles. He twisted his body over, lifting his feet up off the ground as if he was going over a high bar. One zipped just over him and the other grazed his back. He could feel the zinging red heat of the propulsion jet brush against his armor.

Instinctively he fired off three shots from his plasma cannon. They streamed towards Magnet Man and hit true, but hit an energy forcefield an inch before they would have crashed into his torso. That light shield was definitely still in place.

"Anything else you want to try?" Magnet Man laughed as he came down. "Maybe I can find you some rocks to throw."

"Once again, your magnetic personality shines through." He fired three shots in rapid succession, aiming precisely for the torso. Magnet Man stood there and absorbed them. Even a concentrated blast couldn't get through. Magnet Man jumped over as Mega Man dodged his furious attacks. He had to try and think of some other way of killing him. Last time, Magnet Man had proven vulnerable to both the shadow blade and the spark shot, but he had neither of those weapons. Fantastic.

The red robot fired a series of three point blank missiles, jolting Mega Man back against the wall, his power supply reduced severely. "You're making this far too easy, Rock. You may not be a man, but you can at least die like one."

He fired another magnet missile, which Mega Man rolled along the floor to avoid before it became attracted to the wall and exploded. This was getting him nowhere fast. He couldn't avoid those homing attacks forever, and he had no offensive maneuvers. He couldn't make this a long drawn out battle, he had to make Magnet Man's defeat hard and fast.

"Come back here." Magnet Man flexed his arms and activated his Magnet Draw. Waves of air pulsated around him and the walls of the room shook, as if they were going to unseal.

Mega Man knew what was coming and tried to get up, but Wily's robot was too fast for him. He lost his balance and collapsed on his stomach. Immediately, his body was dragged along the ground, being pulled into the magnetic waves. Mega Man dug his fingers into the metal floor, trying to find something to grasp but falling. Small indentations turned into lines in the metal plating as he was pulled towards Magnet Man's harmful body. Peelings of scrap metal started curling up from his clutching. He was never going to win at this rate. This was what Link was supposed to be for. What would he do in this situation? Close combat was his specialty. Maybe he would pull out one of his tools like the hookshot or...

Magnet Man gave one final pull to his Magnet Draw and cut it off. Mega Man's tensioned body relaxed and he scrambled to his feet to face his enemy. He hoped this would work.

The red robot bounded again in the air and fired two missiles. Mega Man saw them coming straight down to him and honed his eyes. This had to be pinhole precise. He ducked under the first one just as it was about to make his head explode. He leaned back to the left and plucked the second one out of the air like a butterfly just as it soared by. He caught it by the magnetic end and grasped it firmly, struggling to keep it from propelling away.

Magnet Man, bewildered, dropped back to the ground as Mega Man hid the missile behind him and disabled the rocket with his tool-using skills. Moving at blurring speeds, he disassembled the missile part away from the magnet, leaving the horseshoe shape and explosive separate. Then he bent the horseshoe a bit, pulling the ends apart from each other so it was more of a 'V' shape than a 'U'.

"What in the world was that?" the enemy asked.

"This!"

Mega Man whipped around and slung the magnet in a sweeping motion with his arm. The V-shaped magnet hovered in the air like a boomerang and flew towards Magnet Man's head. It nearly knocked his neck off his shoulders, then it flew back into Mega Man. He bounded up, caught it and threw again in one smooth motion. Before Magnet Man had time to react and realize what was going on, the boomerang smacked him again, up under the chin, then soared away. Mega Man caught it and threw again.

This time Magnet Man caught it in mid-air and smirked. His smirk only lasted a fifth of a second though, as Mega Man dashed up and gave him a robot uppercut, then two hard hook punches to the ribs. Mega Man wailed on his metal casing mercilessly, and the physically weaker Magnet Man rebounded from each blow, though it had little effect on his power levels. He could sit there and take punches all day, but the embarrassment of being caught off guard was too much. He reversed the polarity on his magnet draw and propelled Mega Man outward. As if he was hit himself, Mega Man flew away into the air and landed in a heap halfway across the room.

Magnet Man strided towards his foe. "You insolent little fool! Now you die!"

Mega Man collected himself and stood up. "Could you wait about five more seconds?"

"Five-?" He saw Mega Man mouthing a countdown. Four. Three.

Magnet Man felt a bump under his chest plate near his core reactor. Something flashing, ticking. Like the detonator to one of his missiles.

Just as he grabbed it, he saw Mega Man mouth 'zero'. His eyes widened and the explosive went off, causing a chain reaction in his power source and blasting Magnet Man apart in a shower of sparks and energy crystals, along with metal scraps.

Mega Man covered his eyes from the short blast. As usual, there was nothing recognizable left but a few shards of red armor. He searched through the junk circuitry for a certain recognizable translucent red board. As soon as he found it, surrounded by frayed wires and singed ends, he picked it up and admired it.

"One for me. None for you," he said as he opened his arm cannon and inserted the circuit board into one of his eight empty slots.

* * *

The hissing noise of pressurized air accompanied Roll as she emerged into the space station side of the airlock, as if signaling the beginning of the action. She'd arrived at an intersection of gray metal hallways, at which a large computer terminal stood. No sign of enemy robots or humans so far. She held her pistol up into the air, close to her body, ready for action.

The main system of the station was apparently operational. At least enough that she didn't need to hack into it to let herself in. She thought that might have been a bit unusual, expecting robots to disable all means of the humans getting any help up here. In fact, there were no blaring red klaxons sounding, indicating a red alert. Perhaps it had been downgraded. Maybe there was no robot invasion, and Roll had just made a mistake.

Or perhaps not. Until the situation was determined, she had to be ready for battle. She hit the button on her helmet to bring up her visor and it slid in front of her eyes, bathing everything in a green hue. Data about the environment began flooding the corners of her field of vision.

She stepped onto the echoing metal grating and approached the computer terminal ahead of her. The green and black interface spoke of futuristic computer technology, the finest possible for a space station of this caliber. The first thing she had to do was discover her environment. She brought up a map of the station and cross-referenced it with environment variables. Everything looked to be in order. The air supply and life support systems were still functioning at 100. Not that she needed them, but that told her humans could still be alive, if some had escaped or went into hiding. Gravity was still on at 1G, equivalent to Earth. Inertial dampeners fine. No hull breaches, no signs of forced entry. So far, except for the eerie emptiness, she couldn't tell there had been an attack by Dr. Wily at all. She accessed the communications console and opened hailing frequencies.

No one picked up, after waiting a full five minutes. She then tried a scan for life signs. The computer spit back that the scanner was not functional. Interesting. Graphic sensor? Also broken. She held out hopes that the crew was still alive and input a query about the status of what Wily wanted in the first place, the inverser.

The computer replied that it had no data on the inverser, nor could it look for it. This was becoming quite the mystery, she thought as she rubbed her forehead. On a whim, she consulted the command log of changes to the system since Wily's alleged attack. A human would never have been able to analyze the numberless lines that appeared on the screen, but Roll read at a fast pace. Something about the geo-targeting orbit combined with the thruster log conflicted badly. Coalescing the data, she was able to bring up a graphic representation of the orbit of the space station.

And it told her it had broken orbit, and would be inescapably plummet to Earth in a matter of hours.

Time was of the essence now, but she retained her confidence that she could do it. No problem. There was still time to change the orbit of the station back to normal. She studied the map and found the quickest route up to the command center at the top of the station, opposite where she currently was. The most direct route was up and through, although she had no way of knowing if robots had blocked off or were guarding any sections she needed access to. If they were, she'd just have to engage in battle. No problem. A simple 'sweep and destroy' for any enemy robots, and assist any humans on the way. A mission even a rookie marine could handle, which she certainly was better than.

She turned away from the computer and headed into the nearest elevator. It took her up several floors at her command, about halfway up through the station. When the doors opened, she emerged with her pistol ready, drawing it back and forth for any signs of enemies. Nothing. She cautiously treaded down the hall and was midway through when a yellow robot with large, comical white eyes and a spring bottom suddenly turned a corner and bounced toward her.

Instantly, vital statistics flooded her visor, pointing out the robot's composition, power source, energy output, strong points, and weak points. With just the tiniest utterance of a shriek of surprise she held out her pistol and fired in a flash. The purple laser beam hit the mark and evaporated the robot in a yellow implosion.

_Ha,_ Roll thought, _that wasn't hard at all. My first Wily robot killed. Down in one shot. I wonder if they're all that easy._

Roll, keeping her eyes double peeled for other spring-loaded robots, made her way down the corridor, and opened the door.

_That was no problem at all,_ she kept thinking to herself. _That should prove I'm capable of anything Rock is. Boy, if he could have seen that he'd have no choice but to make me his partner. We'd complement each other so well. He's got the experience, and I've got the skill._

The door opened to a large circular room, the center walled off. This was the hub of the station, and its very center, where it led off to the spokes of the station's facilities. So far, no robots here either. She moved around the large curving hallway, making her way to her destination, still beaming.

_We could be the dynamic duo, _she continued thinking, _fighting crime and evil all over the world. He'd no longer have to be the lone wolf. He could have back-up. Double the fighting power. They could call us the Mega Squad. They-_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden thunderous boom that shook the floor, nearly toppling her. She dashed her head side to side to try and find its source. Then she heard a rush of air behind her and quickly turned around.

She was immediately smacked supine on the floor by some yellow blur that had collided with her face. The impact knocked her silly, distorting the visor on her head. She groaned to pull herself up and adjusted her eyeshade. Another yellow object zoomed toward her. She fell back against the floor with her arms at her sides, trying to become as flat as possible, and the boulder rushed over her head. Several other yellow spheres flew over her like a flock of birds.

After they passed, she uprighted herself, and turned to see where they were going. They disappeared around the curve of the roundabout, and Roll leapt up and followed them around the corner.

The yellow globules were collecting into a bigger pile around a mound of gelatinous yellow goo, growing bigger and bigger with each chunk of mass absorbed. Then it sprouted legs, pushing itself off the ground, and extended two thick arms out of its corpulent body. And one glowing red eye in the center.

**Next Chapter: The Weakest Link**


	20. Chapter 52: The Weakest Link

_Chapter 52: The Weakest Link_

Roll's two eyes stared into the one large red eye of the monster before her - the yellow devil. Also known as the cyclops bot, or rock monster. Luckily, she had heard about him before. As one of Dr. Wily's more ingenious creations, Rock had fought it, and an improved version, in two adventures previous. From listening to his retelling, she knew that this robot had an impenetrable exterior made of liquifiable litanium, and a single weak point - its eye. Her visor was describing the same information to her right now. This robot looked like the first version, with a slightly darker golden hue and dark crystalline eye looking down at her.

Calculating her distance from the beastly robot, Roll took out one of her pistols and shot straight at the eye. With only a slight movement, the robot bent its head down and the shot did nothing but sparkle away on its forehead. In retaliation it pulled back its beefy arm and backhanded Roll into the wall. The quick and strong blow made her feel like she was a fly that just got flicked away, slamming her spread-eagle on the metal slab. Being a robot she felt no pain, but her artificial intelligence made her react with an appropriate facial expression.

_He's fast for a big guy,_ she thought as she slid down the wall. Just as she was about to collect herself and stand up the yellow devil grabbed her leg with two meaty fingers, swung her upside down and flung her away like a sack of potatoes.

"Whooooa!" Roll screamed as she flew through the air and skidded along the smooth floor. "All right, I'm getting mad now."

Away from the robot's range, she pulled out her twin pistols like a trained sharpshooter and held them in front of her. "Eat laser!"

She fired shot after shot, using her target enhancement in her visor, alternating shots between each pistol. The purple lasers popped around the cyclops' eye socket, but stopped at the litanium hide, never hitting the mark.

She momentarily relaxed her guns. "Damn, that eye's harder to hit than it looks," she said to herself. With no other recourse, she continued pummeling, backing away as the slow moving yellow devil moved toward her.

It reared back a giant fist and slammed it into the ground. Earth-shaking tremors rebounded through out the station. The floor seemed to undulate like ocean waves, toppling Roll off her feet and onto her back. Disoriented, she nearly dropped her pistols, and had to reset her balance calibration. "Unh, Rock never told me he could do that."

The monster walked forward around the curving corridor, heading towards her with arms raised, ready to grab.

"I think Wily's been doing some upgrades," she sneered and pulled up her gun again, now that he was in better range.

Still a fair distance away, the robot dropped its arms and thrust his fist out at Roll. The fist turned into a solid chunk of litanium and smashed through Roll's face. Her head flung back, nearly knocked off her shoulders. As the female robot reacted, the yellow devil's body continued disintegrating into chunks, peeling off at the arm, and flying through the air one after the other at Roll, and smashing into her body. Roll took each blow, swaying back and forth, whichever way she was hit, at the legs, the torso, the stomach, the arms, the head. The pieces of the yellow devil landed behind her, re-fusing together into its full body again.

Roll was knocked silly from the blows, highly disoriented and hurting. Knowing the robot was behind her, she ran forward, out of its range. If she were feeling better, she would have uttered a snarky quip at the foe, but now she was just concentrating on surviving. Rock had said the yellow devil was one of his more difficult fights, but Roll had never imagined anything as hard as this. Her power levels were depleting, her armor was getting chewed up. She looked back at the cyclops, who was starting to move towards her again. This called for desperate tactics.

Moving as fast as her pathways would allow her, she called Tango up out of her system. A green cat teleported down in front of her, sitting on her hind legs, and staring up at the monster.

"Go, Tango!" she yelled out.

The cat grew a ferocious expression, as ferocious as a housecat could muster, sloping out her back and bringing herself to the ground. It made a guttural growl/hiss at the enemy, then hopped into the air and tucked itself into a ball. The shingles of metal on her back splayed outward and the cat sped forward like a buzzsaw off its hinge. At once, she took off from the ground, rocketing around the room, bouncing off the walls and into the giant beast. Tango buzzed all around it, rebounding off its litanium armor only to come back down, with absolutely no effect. The cyclops slowly weaved around, trying to swat at the speedy thorned ball attacking him, but he was too slow.

"Aim for the eye! The eye!" Roll stressed, but the cat was already in such a frenzy it could pay her no attention. Tango's attack chip couldn't hit the yellow devil precisely enough to target the eye specifically. She was meant for melee situations. Roll called her back before her energy ran out and she was completely useless.

The annoyance gone, the yellow devil continued its approach. Roll tried firing her guns again, as the robot's red eye flashed and fired a lightning bolt down at her. Not expecting a ranged attack, Roll stood stupidly in place as the heavy laser shot her in the chest. She absorbed every bit of charge, sparks flashing from her body as she jittered backwards, grimacing in pain. Her options were limited. Tango was useless. She hadn't made a successful hit to the eye yet. And her enemy seemed to be pulling one trick after another at her.

She dropped to one knee, barely able to hold the pistol in her hand, breathing heavily. "This is gonna be tough," she muttered to herself.

* * *

"Hello? Hello?" Link's voice echoed in the square room. "Anyone here?" he called out. Great. A dead end. He was really lost now. That hallway he went through looked important, but apparently, all it led to was an empty room. What did they use this space for anyway? Storage? There wasn't a single thing in here, just a four distant walls, and a high ceiling with scaffolding and pipes with some sort of orange liquid being piped through. Link could see it through glass windows in the pipes. It looked like thin lava, but Link had no idea why anyone would make an irrigation system for lava, nor why they'd want to look at it through windows in the pipes, _nor_ how they could make glass or pipes that weren't melted by the lava.

Anyway, there was nothing in here that Link needed or wanted, most of which was an exit. As soon as he started to turn to the door, a body dropped down from above and landed on its feet precisely. Link was startled but took no action. He recognized it as a robot, from the gleam of its metal skin. When it stood straight up, he saw that its body was similarly shaped to Mega Man's, but its armor was a darker blue & black. He wore a strange helmet with a giant razor-sharp metal star on its forehead and tapering to a point in the back like a blue jay.

"Human," it snidely said in a deep mysterious voice. "How did a human get in here? No human should have ever made it past the guardians."

"Actually, I'm Hylian," Link smirked.

"I only know creatures of the flesh," he responded. He made his hands into tight little balls and gently placed one into the other, torqueing them.

At that instant, Link knew he was talking to a malevolent robot. It must have been one of the robot masters Mega Man spoke of - special lieutenants of Dr. Wily who guarded the buildings he took over.

"Who are you?" Link asked.

"I am Shadow Man," the robot said. "What is your business here?"

"We're searching for the photon... something. The thing here that Wily wants. We need to keep it out of Wily's hands before he can finish his plan."

"Who is 'we'."

"Mega Man and I."

"Then he is coming," Shadow Man said with grim tone.

"And you mean to kill him?" Link asked with the same tone.

"I do."

"I'm afraid I can't have that."

Link reached behind his back and slowly pulled off his sword and shield. Then he held them at the ready, spinning his sword with his wrist once to show his prowess. Shadow Man bore absolutely no reaction to Link's determined, threatening expression. He knew the effect the sword would have on his hide was nil. But Link was trying to appear that he had the upper hand, that he knew something the robot didn't. "I'm not letting you harm Mega Man," the Hylian said.

"Then I'll just practice on you!" Shadow Man yelled, baring his teeth. He grabbed the star off the top of his head and plucked it off, then flung it at Link like a boomerang. Link reflexively picked up his shield and held it over his face. Two of the sharp blades embedded in the iron metal, points poking through the other side. The third ripped horizontally through the bottom corner of the coat of arms, shredding off a chunk which clattered to the floor. Shadow Man generated another through his weapon system and threw three more rapidly. The Hylian used his guard to catch the first one, then dropped his shield, seeing its uselessness and used his sword to knock away the last two to the left and right.

Shadow Man picked out another shuriken and held it tightly as if it were a hilted weapon. He hopped over like a frog, dragging his feet. His altitude was not as high as Mega Man could jump, but he was gaining significant ground. As soon as he saw the robot heading for him with that razor-sharp blade, Link grabbed his hookshot out of his bag and fired at the ceiling. The grappling hook sailed up and fastened to a grated piece of scaffolding. He released the trigger and the chain pulled him up just as Shadow Man sliced forward.

The robot turned and looked up at Link hanging from the rafters like a bat. He threw the blade he was holding and Link dodged it, swinging to the side as it embedded itself in the metal. Link thought he could stay up her for a while, since the robot couldn't jump that high.

"Interesting fighting style," Shadow Man commented. "But I have no qualms about killing you. I follow none of the humans' laws."

He brought out two shadow blades, holding one in each hand, then threw them parallel, spinning in the air. The blades sliced through the section of grating the hookshot was attached to, separating it. No longer attached to anything, Link yelled in fear as he fell away and collapsed on the ground, rolling from his feet to his back.

Shadow Man grabbed the front of his tunic and held him up as if he weighed nothing. "Worthless sack of flesh." The robot punched him dead in the face with the cross of his free hand. It felt like a ramming metal hammer pounding on his jaw. This was one of the worst pains Link had ever felt. Wily's robot backhanded him with the same arm, knocking Link's head the other way. Then punched him in the stomach, and it took everything Link had to keep his stomach contents inside, let alone his actual stomach.

"So delicate," the robot muttered. "Even the slightest touch leaves a mark for all to see how damaged you are."

As Link breathed moaning gasps for breath, sounding like a stuck pig, Shadow Man grabbed the star from the top of his head and slashed downward lightly across Link's arm. Between wheezes, Link gritted his teeth in utter pain and grabbed the wound. Rivulets of blood ran down the hairs of his arm.

The Hylian knew this battle wasn't going to last long at this rate. He had to escape Shadow Man's grasp. Reaching behind him with his numbing arm, he managed to pull a bomb out of his sack, the only weapon that had proven at all effective against robots. Just as he pulled the fuse to light it, the robot whisked it out of his hands before he could blink.

"What's this?" Shadow Man said, holding the hissing globe in front of Link's swelling eye, as if he was disciplining the human. "What did you expect to accomplish with this? This would do far more damage to you than it would to me. It would barely scratch my exterior and render you lifeless. I'm not finished teaching you your lesson yet." He tossed the bomb behind him casually and it blew up on the other side of the room. "Firecrackers have no use here," he said, commenting about the weak explosion.

Shadow Man slapped him across the face with an open hand, leaving Link with the cutting sensation as if he'd been stung by a thousand bees.

"Fragile human." He slapped Link again. "Every action I make causes an unerasable mark. The more damage I do, the easier it is to cause it." He adjusted his shadow blade and ripped Link a short but deep cut across his cheek. Blood dribbled out of the scar. "Your skin is no thicker than a wire."

He lifted Link up higher and threw him overhead across the room. Link sailed through the air and barely twisted in time to avoid crashing headfirst into the wall like a missile. He ended up slamming his back against the hard metal and sliding down to the floor. Shadow Man stood in the middle of the room and slowly walked toward him, putting purpose behind each step.

"This is but a fraction of my true strength. I could flay the skin from your muscles, snap every limb like a twig. I am done with you. You are not the challenge you made yourself out to be." He slowly took the shadow blade off his forehead and approached. "I am going score your belly across the middle, so that your slippery organs will spill out. You will be able to hold them before you die."

Link peeked out from his blurry vision. His body ached all over, and his cuts hurt excruciatingly, like they were engineered to cause the most pain possible. But he hadn't lost all hope. He remembered what Mega Man had said. Every enemy could be defeated, even if he was just a fragile human. While the robot described the various ways he was going to perish, he was slowly reaching for his hookshot and putting it on his hand. He hadn't come this far to lose to a minion robot. He was banking all his hope on this one shot. He had to be precise. This was going to be tricky.

As soon as Shadow Man picked his foot up off the ground again, Link whipped his arm holding his hookshot out in front and fired. The spring-loaded grappling hook shot forward and embedded itself into the robots torso, latching under his chest plate. Shadow Man stood there with his hands on his hips, mildly interested to see Link to do something with this, daring him. Link couldn't pull the robot towards him with his weight, as he planned, so he let go of the trigger and held on tight. The grapple chain wound back up and Link flew towards Shadow Man.

The Hylian brought out his sword and concentrated the power therein, focusing all his emotions into the blade, energizing it with power and life. As he drew closer to Shadow Man, in that split second he had when the robot realized what was happening, he swung his sword in a horizontal arc, using the power of his spinning sword slash, shouting a battle cry.

Link didn't just stop at one spin, he let go of the hookshot and spun and spun like a ferocious tornado, slicing his blade through the air like a rotor, using every last ounce of strength he had left. The blade cut through Shadow Man's torso over and over again. After three or four spins, both the resistance of the metal and the dizziness overwhelmed Link and he collapsed to one knee, panting heavily.

While the fatigued Link kneeled before him, Shadow Man stood there, staring off into space with narrow pupils, stunned. He tried utter sounds, but only guttural sputtering came from his mouth. The top of his chest began sliding off the bottom of his body and fell backwards onto the floor, exposing the numerous wires and gears inside his body. The legs buckled to their knees, and fell to the side.

Link, in a hazy state from his last ditch effort, barely noticed what had happened. The pain in his body was beating as fast as his heart, overtaking his mind. The agony was numbing his thought process and he suddenly felt very sleepy. Unable to support his weight on his sword he sluggishly tipped to the side and collapsed into a fetal position.

He felt a cool darkness shrouding him from the hot lights and just before he lost consciousness he swore he heard a whistle, like his flute. A sad, bluesy whistle.

**Next Chapter: The Wild Card**


	21. Chapter 53: The Wild Card

_Chapter 53: The Wild Card_

The first thing he felt was a natural, warm, filling sensation on his face. Then a cool moist breeze. Link weakly opened his eyes. As soon as he could process his surroundings, he realized he was sitting on a ledge overlooking a wide river, cutting through a range of green mountains. The sun was rising. Or possibly setting, Link wasn't sure how long he'd been out. The colors of the sky were magically splayed into a watercolor canvas of blues, reds, and oranges. For a wonderful fleeting flash, he thought he was back in Hyrule.

The moment he felt the ledge he was sitting on, his brief reverie was done in. He was apparently outside a large building, as big as an amphitheater, on the bank of the rushing blue river below. He was secure enough on the ledge that he had no fear of falling, and he wasn't scared of heights anyway. The setting was too beautiful to be scared.

That's right. He'd just been in a fight. He brought his hand up to his cheek to feel his wound. A hollow remnant of pain resonated in his cheek as he touched it. The wound was gone. Not even a scar. Completely clean.

"Stupid human. Trying to take on a robot master."

Link turned to the left, to the speaker. A robot colored in red and gray was standing on the ledge beside him, apparently oblivious to the danger. He had the same design as Mega Man, closer than Shadow Man had been, but his red helmet had a visor that covered his eyes in blackness. And he had an odd yellow scarf around his neck, and held a white body-length shield at his back.

"Who are you?"

"My name's... ah, just call me Protoman." He waved his hand dismissively after some thought.

"Are you another one?" Link put his hand on the hilt of his sword, glowering at the potential foe.

"Relax. I'm a friend. Here." He handed him a glass of ionized water and looked at Link's apparel. "You trying out for the LARP guild?"

Link, suddenly realizing he was parched, ignored the question and took the glass without asking what it was and downed it.

"Did you heal my wounds?" Link asked.

Protoman produced a small white stick in his hand and tossed it in the air. "The curative spanner really does wonders to repair cells, doesn't it? You weren't that bad off anyway. Just a few cuts and some broken ribs."

_Broken ribs?_ Link thought. _That would take weeks to heal in Hyrule._

The robot continued, "I didn't mind using it. You looked like you deserved it, after that battle." He put the device back in under his armor and looked out unto the landscape, with his scarf waving in the wind. "So you took on Shadow Man and won. You must have something special."

Link looked down at his blue and gold scabbard. His sword was made of nothing special. It was custom-made for him, deserving since he was the hero of Hyrule, and based on the design of the Master Sword he'd become so familiar with, but it was nowhere near the toughness of the material that robots were made of. It was barely enough to puncture through a robot bat. The way he won was the spinning slash maneuver, which was beyond verbal explanation. It was a combination of magic, focus, and strength. That in itself was unusual. Magic wasn't supposed to exist in this world. So how did he execute the maneuver so successfully?

"What's your secret?" the robot asked.

"I don't... really know. I just fought as hard as I could." He looked up at the mysterious robot. He didn't want to mention anything about magic or Hyrule to this intimidating fellow. "It's a long story."

"Hmph," Protoman said. "Well, if you hope to defeat any more robot masters, I'd get something a little better than that sword and shield. The only reason you were able to defeat Shadow Man is his vulnerability to spinning attacks. But a sword won't be able to cut through Gemini Man's crystal armor."

"When I find Mega Man again, then we'll be able to take the rest of Wily's robots. Two heads are better than one."

"Yes, I watched that. It seems he did all the fighting while you were the cheerleader. As soon as you were separated, you were helpless as a kitten. I don't know you survived. Meanwhile Roll is dying to show you her battle prowess, and Mega Man just makes her sit at home. She's far more capable than you are. I don't get why he picked you and not her."

"Those robot masters have that energy shield that makes plasma shots useless. I was supposed to help him with the physical aspect of fighting. We're partners. We've been through a lot together."

"Hm," he smirked.

"You know, you look a lot like Mega Man, except for the color."

"I'm his brother."

Link's eyes widened, and he nearly fell off the ledge. He knew Mega Man had Roll, who was like a sister, but he never mentioned any other siblings or relatives. Roll was a helpful person, but this one was a cad.

"You're his brother? Then why haven't I seen you before? He's never mentioned you before."

"It's a long story," Protoman replied, with a hint of ego in his tone. Link shrugged, knowing Protoman wasn't saying anymore if Link wasn't saying anything more. "I'm not exactly what you'd call a 'big part of the family'."

"But you're still Mega Man's ally?"

"No. Sometimes we cross paths, but I stay out of his way, keep to the shadows. Once in a while, I might lend him a hand. But I don't get dragged in."

"Don't you think you could do a lot more good on the floor with him, instead of hiding in the rafters?"

"This is his fight, not mine. I've got no desire to see his aspirations fulfilled. But I have no desire to see him blown to pieces either."

Link had never heard a human or robot talk like this before. There was such a streak of indifference in him. Everyone else he'd met had taken a definitive stance in the conflict between humans and robots. He wasn't entirely sure Protoman was telling the truth when he said he wasn't on Wily's side. "Are you sure you're not a robot master?"

"I'm... special. I'm not so simple-minded as other robots. I don't see things so black and white as they do. The world is one big gray area. Everyone else wants a decision that benefits one side totally, and excludes the other. They don't see that no one wins in that scenario. No one's happy."

"That's not true," Link said and clenched his fist. "People like Mega Man are working so that both sides can win and live in harmony."

Protoman shook his head. "Sorry, I just don't see that happening. There's a war going on, but nobody's courageous enough to declare it."

"And whose side are you on?"

Protoman turned to him, "Mega Man's on the side of good. Wily's on the side of evil. I'm somewhere in between. And yet not a part of it at all." He looked over the river with his empty black visor. "I'm tired of getting dragged into Mega Man's fights. I try and stay away from it all."

"But you could do so much more. You're obviously meant for fighting. If you helped him more, you could win this war, instead of it constantly repeating."

"I don't get involved. I'm in this for my own interests, and no one else's. That's the true freedom no robot will ever be able to achieve."

"You know what I think. I think you're just a big coward."

"I am NO coward." Protoman barked angrily, looking straight at him. "I healed your wounds, boy. I can put those broken ribs back where they were and then some."

Link kept his mouth shut.

Protoman continued, "You're an outsider. Don't pretend like you have any idea what our society should be like."

"Sometimes an outsider's perspective is what's needed."

"Hmph," he gave another roguish smirk. "Talk to me when you've led a robot's life."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hm."

Link sighed and turned back to the landscape. "I'm guessing you've led a very hard life."

"I guess you could say I've an outsider's perspective. Besides, Mega Man can handle himself just dandy. Without my help. He's done it six times before."

"But it could be easier with your help."

"I wouldn't help him at all, if I could help it. Sometimes, my programming just gets the better of me."

"This programming seems like such a hassle. Every time Mega Man can't do something he calls it a limitation of his programming. It doesn't do anything but hinder you."

"You've hit it right on the nose, my friend."

"Then why do you do it?"

"Our programming is us. It's what makes me me. We can't live without it. It's also the way humans can control us. We can't do anything but what our programming says. It's written that way. Without it, the humans would no longer be in charge. And they wouldn't stand for that."

"Is that why you won't fight? You hate the humans?"

"I was able, by some miracle... or mistake, to exceed my programming. Others aren't so lucky. But without it, there'd be chaos." He then shrugged.

Link shook his head. He was tired of trying to figure out this enigma. "Well, thanks for saving me, for what it's worth."

Protoman kept silent.

"If you did choose to fight, this is one human who would welcome you along." He looked down at his feet. "I know I can't do it alone."

"Don't worry. Your friend Mega Man should be here shortly, I should think."

"I meant all of us together. Maybe if you gave him a chance to reconcile..."

"Sorry. Two's company. Three's a crowd."

Link was really frustrated at this. This Protoman probably had as much power as Mega Man and was wasting his skills, his responsibility. Of course, he didn't want to argue with anyone who had a plasma blaster and a temper. The red robot looked over the side of the building and jumped.

"Wait!" Link called out. Protoman stopped himself, grabbing the edge of the ledge and pulling himself back up. "Isn't there anything you can do? Anything you can help us with?"

Protoman slowly smirked. "Yeah," he said with pause. "I like your flute. Ciao!"

Protoman released the ledge and fell away. Link cautiously scooted over a bit more to look over the side. He could see no trace of Protoman. He had vanished. And Link was left alone. He had no way off of the ledge that he knew of, no way back in, and it was too dangerous to try and explore. So he sat staring out into the world with his arms around his knees for warmth, with the vastness of the rising world before him and much to think about.

Some minutes later, the window behind him flipped open. Mega Man poked his head out and looked around. "Hey."

"Hey," Link responded.

"Glad I found you. I found out there are two robot masters in this plant. I found one, but-"

"He's dead."

Mega Man, already in the middle of a sentence stopped for a second. "What?"

"He's dead. Defeated him."

"By you? That's awesome! I can't believe that."

"Believe it."

"Excellent. Then we can move on to the hydro plant. Come on." Mega Man went back into the building as Link took one last look at the sky and stood up. "By the way," the robot said from inside, "What were you doing on the ledge?"

"Just enjoying the view."

**Next Chapter: Level Two**


	22. Chapter 54: Level Two

_Chapter 54: Level Two_

That horrible vibration still rumbled in the alcove. Like a slow drum, it banged on and on, in a perfectly repeating rhythm, doom accompanying each of its steps. The metal grate rattled with each step, her only way to see outside, through an obscured fence.

That cyclops bot was still circling the ventilation tower, looking for her. Somehow she had managed to duck into this storage compartment without it detecting her escape. Unfortunately, there was no available path beyond the bay. So she was trapped, and hiding, and shaking with fear. Her arms were huddled around her legs, sitting in a fetal position as that was all the room this hideaway allowed her. If she could cry, she would be weeping. Her armor was cracked and falling apart. Her power levels were running on emergency systems. Her body felt like it had been crushed in a compactor. Those stupid pistols were useless. She'd only managed to make one successful shot out of about two hundred, and the giant robot hadn't even noticed it. Meanwhile, she was barely clinging onto life, and hiding like a coward inside the hub of the station, trying to escape detection and desperate to find some way out of this wretched situation. Finding none, she felt like she was just waiting for an inevitable death.

Her only saving grace was the apparent ineptitude of the circling yellow devil. By some miracle, its demonic eye had never seen her duck into this alcove. Now, with no target to attack, it simply guarded the hub, looking for the meat for the beast. It knew she was still here, somehow. It knew she was hiding, just not where. For some reason, it hadn't the brain patterns to actually search for her - it was in some sort of watch mode. But she was trapped in here, and the only getaway was back out the way she came.

She could tell when it was getting closer. She could hear the massive footsteps, and when it passed by the threaded grate she spied out of, she could see the horrible yellow mass pass by. Every time its form got closer, she thought surely this would be the time she was going to be caught. This time, it was going to stop at the grate and turn its glowing red eye toward her. It was going to punch through the metal like rice paper, grab her lithe body like a stick and squeeze it until the oil spurted out like an orange.

It approached again, thumping that _DOOM, DOOM, DOOM_ of its footpads down on the titanium floor. Slow. Methodical. No hurry. She would show herself soon enough. She had nowhere to go. It was just playing the waiting game. A waiting game it would win, because it had what she wanted, and she could go no further without it.

The distended yellow hemisphere of its body came into sight, in her square fenced television to the outside. That demonic, sunken-in eye, surrounded by coal black, stared straight ahead. It stopped.

Roll froze, held her breath. The yellow devil's glowing red eye gazed straight ahead, as if stuck. Daring her to make a move. Roll predicted it would quickly turn right, seeing the whole circle of that demon gaze. It had to know she was here. She almost willed it to turn and see her, to know she was there, so it could put an end to all this. To see her, so the torture could end. It just stayed there, immobile, as if concentrating hard on something. Why wouldn't it look in here? Why was it just waiting? Did it see something? Did it know she was two feet from it. Could it smell her? Why was it just staying there? Just do something! Move on!

The yellow devil stepped forward again, as if nothing happened. It just continued its moebius strip around the hub of the station.

This was so stupid. Here she was, thinking she could be the hero, and now she was just huddled in a corner of the station, hurting and waiting for the end. She was so stupid, she couldn't be like Mega Man, let alone better. Mega Man was trained to be a hero. He had something she could never have. She was just a maid. Why didn't she just stay there, like a good robot was supposed to. She had a role that she was supposed to fulfill. Why did she ever stray from it. What possessed her to think she could be like Mega Man, with those tiny pistols and weird green sunglasses. She might as well have just flung open the grate and offered herself to the cyclops. This pain was unbearable. But some sort of self-preservation instinct was preventing her from emerging. Even despite not having the third law installed, she stayed inside. For some reason beyond her programming, she stayed in the dark, hiding, bathed in agonizing fear. Helpless.

Not that it mattered. If she didn't get repaired, her systems would eventually degrade and her memory and CPU would be unable to function. She could already feel her systems going, one by one, circuit pathways dropped off, the hardware failed. Backup systems tried to compensate, but they couldn't be relied on long. They were only a temporary measure. She could feel her systems going... going...

* * *

Plasma globules sprayed out like a fountain from Mega Man's arm. Flying robots imploded in yellow bursts of light, then disintegrated, far long before they reached them. Mega Man's deadly accuracy for fliers complemented Link's ferocious attacks on the ground robots.

Link burst out from behind Mega Man and horizontally slashed a scowling robot made to resemble a penguin across the neck. The head and body flopped down to the floor lifeless. Two more waddled toward them, hopped in the air, and slid on their bellies like torpedoes. Link charged up his sword behind him and released it in a tornado of metal as they approached. The robots flew to the left and right out of harm's way as they got caught in Link's spinning fan.

Mega Man fired a plasma blast above at a oval-shaped bird carrying an egg almost as big as itself.

"Those things are dangerous," Mega Man said over the din, "You've got to get them before they drop those egg bombs. They have dozens of tiny baby bird robots that swarm in and get you."

"Got it," Link said as he jumped up and plunged his sword into a helmeted tank, traveling along the ground. Another tried to bite him, but he jammed his shield into its face, resulting in a piece of it being blasted off. Angrily, Link sliced its turret off and jammed his sword into the hole making it defunct. His shield was starting to look like someone had chewed on it.

Link equated the hydroelectric plant to a water temple. Large pipes and tubes snaked throughout the building, some big enough for a person to go through. Tanks of water rested below and above them, washing back and forth huge amounts of water. They had found an in between floor to squeeze into. It seemed the least guarded of all the routes they could take, which was how Mega Man always did it, taking the path of least resistance.

Link wiped his brow. He had successfully risen to his robot friend's rank of dealing out damage to robots. Getting up close and personal with man-threshing mechanoids was a different tactic, but it was apparently working. Since Mega Man had become a thorn in his side, Wily had engineered his sentinel robots to best deal with his long distance plasma blaster specifically. They were not expecting a sword-wielding Hylian trouncing into their corridor and laying them to waste. The hard part though, was their metal hides made it so much more difficult to successfully make a clean swipe through their bodies. These were definitely not moblins or leevers. He had dealt with armored monsters before, like helmasaurs, but they always had a weak point. These robots were made completely out of helmasaur shell. So he had to put every ounce of strength behind his blows, else he'd get his sword stuck in their hide, which happened occasionally. So far he was having success by aiming for what looked like weak points - eyes, stomach, and anything crystalline. It was tiring him out, his sword had never felt so heavy, but he wasn't ready to give up yet. The goal of trying to match Mega Man's prowess was keeping him going. He wasn't even close to giving up.

Mega Man opened an access port for them to crawl through, having dispensed the malicious attackers in the room. The door opened and shut behind them, depositing them in a room similar to the last one they were in. A large bola hooked into the floor was swinging around, independent of a swinger. The balls on each end were lined with thick pointed spikes. The swing arc was too far for Link to jump over.

"How do we get across this?"

Mega Man tried firing at the bola. The shots clinked off and flew away harmlessly.

"No help there," the blue robot said.

"Can you jump it?"

"Too far. And then what do I do with you?"

Link 'hmmm'ed in thought. This provided an interesting conundrum. It obviously had some sort of robotics involved in it. Otherwise, it wouldn't be swirling perpetually. Link looked a little closer at the device. In the hub of the bola, the center of the circle, a red light was flashing on and off. Rather curious.

"Mega Man, see that red light there? In the middle?"

Mega Man nodded. "Try and hit it?"

"Might work."

Mega Man fired multiple shots at the center, trying to time the shots so they went in between the veering spheres. Some mistimed shots reflected off, but most hit the mark and absorbed in. After a few plasma bursts, the hook holding the bola vanished.

With nothing to hold onto, the bola flung off. The two ends separated, flying in both directions.

"AAAH! Duck!" Mega Man said, and pulled Link to the floor by his tunic.

The giant spiked orb flew over their heads, nearly taking off Link's hat in the process, and embedded itself in the wall. The other flew away and fell into a pit.

"Whoa, that was close," the Hylian said as he stood up.

The two passed over the area and made their way forward, further into the plant. After some steps, the ceiling and floor tightened closer together into almost a tunnel. Suddenly, buzzsaws started poking out of slits on the floor and ceiling. The pair stopped as soon as they saw the first one poke its deadly head out.

"Yikes!" Link said. The saws were alternating between each other, so that one couldn't jump over one without possibly hitting the other. "This is going to take some timing."

"Welcome to my world," Mega Man muttered. He headed out after the buzzsaw on the bottom completed its run, running along the slitted line. The ceiling saw extracted, slicing through air, but too high above to reach the robot's helmet. Just as it fell back in, Mega Man leapt into the air and the saw emerged from the floor. If he had been standing there, he would have been cleaved in two. He continued down the tunnel the same way.

Link sighed and ran after him. The saw from the ceiling came down, with Link cautiously ducking down as he ran through. As it retracted, he could see the white gleam of the rotor start to come up out of the ground. He hoisted himself up, trying to be as light on his feet as possible and narrowly avoided getting the seat of his pants cut.

They weaved in and out of the buzzsaw tunnel. Link tried to step where Mega Man stepped and repeat his actions. A few timing mistakes forced him to hug the wall as the edge of the blade nearly cut off the heel of his boots.

They finally made it through the passageway and into the next area, which housed platforms and pits. Link treaded close to the edge of one and looked down. The darkness obscured the bottom.

"It's too far for you to jump across," Mega Man said.

"Yeah, I-"

"Hold on," Mega Man said and grabbed Link by the belt and scruff of the neck. Link's eyes widened as the robot picked him up off the ground, swung back and flung him to the other side of the pit. The Hylian screamed in terror as he flew over the blackness onto a metal column. Instinctively, he tucked and rolled along the square platform, righting himself quickly.

"What was that!" he called back across the chasm.

Mega Man bounded across the pit easily with his robotic legs and landed next to Link. "You needed to cross the pit, didn't you? Was that a problem."

"I do have this, you know." He pulled out his hookshot and grasped the handle. He pointed it at the ceiling at the center of the next pit and fired. The grappling hook soared up and hooked into the plating. Link released the trigger for a split second, which sent him sailing up, and then stopped in mid-air. He swung forward like a pendulum and reached the other side with no problem. He yanked the grappling hook out of its set and retracted the chain. With a smirk, he turned back to Mega Man and said, "No one tosses a Hylian."

Mega Man smirked and jumped over the pit. Suddenly a yellow blur jumped out of the pit, heading straight for Mega Man. It was a met-tool with a rocket strapped to it. With his inertia, Mega Man wasn't going to be able to avoid it.

On a spurt of quick thinking, he fired his hookshot and grabbed the helmeted robot in mid-air. It latched on, and pulled him back to Link's platform. Mega Man continued the rest of the way unobstructed and landed on his feet. The met-tool's rocket was still firing, and it directed the flare outward, about to take off with Link.

Mega Man grabbed the robot and yanked it off the hooks, then tossed it over the pit where it tumbled end over end into a pit.

"Had to throw that one back. Too small," he punned. Mentally he cursed himself for not checking the edge of the pit before he jumped. Too many times he'd been attacked by robots jumping out of pits. He should have known this time would be no different.

Mega Man opened the door they found themselves at after jumping the pits. The sweet moist air and sunlight of the outside surprised them. Link stepped out into the warm light. There wasn't another building as far as he could see, except for the city in the distance. It felt nice to be out with some nature again. To breathe the air. They were at ground level, at a large factory dock junctioning with a wide, rapid river. Some strange looking vehicles bobbed in the water, tied to plastic posts in their ports. Link looked at Mega Man, asking him what the next move was since they had apparently come to a dead end.

"Excellent," the robot said, approaching the dock. "This will make our trip much faster." He started untying the ropes that held the flat boat at each post.

"What's this?" Link asked.

"It's a hydroski. A type of boat with an hydro-volt unit. We just take it down the river and we'll arrive at the robot master's lair in no time." Having untied the boat, he jumped in and started pressing buttons on the control panel. To Link, it resembled a hovercar, but with no wheels and in the water. It was remarkably flat, making him think of a manta ray with its back scooped out for seats. If it capsized or took on water, it would likely sink very quickly.

"It looks fast," Link said nervously.

"It is. They use it for getting up and down the river quickly, to the other end of the plant." Mega Man started the engine and it hummed to life with an ethereal bass vibration. Link cautiously stepped into the hollowed-out fish on the robot's gesture.

Mega Man looked behind him to gauge distance. He took the circle attached to the front panel in both hands and the vehicle started to back out of the pier slowly. He kept reversing until he was clear of the dock and righted the vehicle until it faced down the river. It bobbed up and down with the current. Mega Man shifted it out of reverse.

A missile blew past his head and exploded.

He turned back and saw two joes on jet-skis skimming down the river, bouncing with the waves and pointing their blasters.

"Damn," Mega Man said. "Okay, you drive, I'll shoot."

"Me!" Link said incredulously. "Why do I have to drive?"

"I can't drive and fire simultaneously. I can't look forward and backward at the same time," he said quickly, pressing a myriad of buttons and switches on the panel.

"But I don't know how to drive!"

Mega Man pulled Link forcefully into the driver's chair in the center of the boat. "Just use the steering wheel to turn it left or right. That's all you need to know."

"What about speed? How do I control speed?"

"Don't worry about that." Mega Man said as he gradually pushed the throttle lever to maximum. The quiet hum of the motor grew to a lion's roar and the hydroski steadily shot off like a rocket. Mega Man teetered and rocked from the waves as he went to the back of the boat to fight the enemies.

Link held onto his hat as the wind picked up faster and faster. "Whoa! Whoa! WHOA!" Link screamed, trying to maintain control of the boat by turning the steering wheel left and right. Whatever happened to reins? The slightest movement of the wheel nearly brought him careening into the river bank, and he quick turned it to the other side, which almost sent him into the other side.

"Careful up there!" Mega Man shouted, holding onto the weaving back of the boat.

"I've never driven before! What do you expect?" He said into the wind as he rotated the wheel again to the other side.

"Just keep it straight!"

"I'm trying!"

Mega Man crouched into the hull, using it for cover, and fired his plasma shots. The two joes, now joined by a third, snaked in and out and fired their blasters. Link's erratic movements were actually providing the cover they needed, but sacrificed their speed. The irregular bouncing was causing Mega Man's shots to fly all sorts of ways, none of them hitting the target. He was caught in a crossfire of missed shots.

Link finally was able to figure out how to move the steering wheel without causing them to shred sand and drive straight. He had to concentrate on knowing the sensitivity of the movement of the boat, and not on the blurs of green passing by his peripheral vision. He hated going this fast, let alone being in control of the vehicle going this fast.

Mega Man traded shots back and forth with the robots. The two skis in front split off and approached at opposite sides. Once one was close enough, he let loose a barrage of blasts. One of them hit the ski itself, causing it to sputter. Mega Man capitalized on its break and fired as fast as he could. The joe's ski absorbed the shots, and he absorbed a few himself. The vehicle exploded in the water, its front board rotating end over end as it splashed along the river's surface.

Just as Mega Man was about to turn to the next one, a sudden jolt of the boat caused him to lose his footing and he fell.

Link felt the huge jostle too and saw that one of the joes was on his side and had bumped him. "Why you little..." Link muttered and heedlessly turned the steering wheel to bump him back, regardless of how close to the bank they were.

The joe and Link became locked in a game of bumper boats. Link gritted his teeth and slammed the robot back as hard as he could, then returned to the center of the river before he got too close.

The joe raised his blaster and pointed it at Link's head. Link's fierce expression turned to shock.

Suddenly a plasma blast came from behind, blasting the joe's arm off. Mega Man, kneeling on the floor with one hand holding it for balance, fired again, aiming from the tops of his eyes. Two more shots took out the ski and the joe's head. The robot dropped back and skidded into the bank, tossing everything overboard.

Link gave him a thumbs up and turned back to the river while the robot righted himself. The river seemed to be getting choppier and choppier, with large rocks now beginning to poke through the water. Now Link had to contend with avoiding certain explosive death on a jagged rock.

Mega Man figured he had reached the most tumultuous part of the river as he continued trading shots with the attackers. Two more had appeared behind the one still leading, and he was really hoping this was the last of them. They couldn't be that much further from the end of the river. The bouncing of the rapids was sending every shot off its mark.

Link saw it before he hit it, but couldn't do anything about it. A drop-off in the river. He couldn't control his speed, he couldn't warn Mega Man. He just hit it as straight on as he could. The bump kept the hydroski airborne for a moment, then crashed down on the water again, spraying Link with water. A horrible screeching sounded from the bottom of the boat.

Mega Man, not paying attention to their course, was surprised when the floor dropped out from under him and he found himself in mid-air. "Whooaaaa!" he yelled out as he saw the boat drive out from under him, replaced by frothy water.

Link glanced back behind him and saw Mega Man about to tumble into the river. Instinctively he grabbed the hookshot from his belt and fired it backward, keeping one hand on the steering wheel.

Mega Man saw the chain pass by him and grabbed it as fast as he could. He hit the water with a forceful impact, dragging the chain down with him. The links rolled out of their reel until it hit the end and stopped. Link felt his arm nearly pulled off, and almost got pulled in the river with him, but he grabbed the steering wheel with a firm grip and held on. The Hylian felt like he was being pulled apart.

Mega Man splashed in the water, trying to keep his head up and find a good grip on the hookshot's end. White foam bubbled around him as the joes sped forward and closed in. He finally managed to find the orientation of his body and gripped the hookshot chain firmly. The taut chain pulled him down the river, as Mega Man stretched out his arms and let his feet fly behind him. He slid along the water like a penguin, and looked like he was trying to take off.

As the joes surrounded him, Mega Man plunged his feet into the rushing water and pulled back on the hookshot. Link gritted his teeth and groaned as he felt the tension on his muscles increase. Mega Man thrust his large padded feet against the water, putting resistance to it, and water-skied off the back of the boat. Still holding onto the chain, he adjusted so he could hold it with one hand, ducking through their shots. He slid over to the nearest joe and blasted his vehicle at point blank range. The jet ski exploded. He switched hands on the chain and fired to the left, taking that robot out too. The third, and last, was behind him, and he changed the grip of his feet so he moved outside of the wake. The robot was now in his peripheral vision and he fired. The shots missed, but the robot slowed down, dropped back, and sailed to the side of the river.

Mega Man arched his eyebrow as he realized this was a retreat. He had no idea why it would do that, but it was out of threatening range now. Maybe it was returning to regroup or something. In any case, they looked to be out of harm's way. He turned back to Link and waved, smiling.

Link smiled weakly through his gritted teeth, stretched between the hookshot and steering wheel, which he was somehow able to manipulate still. At least they finally made it. Mega Man started pulling himself in as Link released the trigger. The spring-loaded mechanism started reeling back in, slowly but steadily under the robot's weight. He looked back over the river and realized a part of the horizon was starting to get nearer and nearer. He peered closer and realized the river was ending... abruptly!

"Waterfall!" Link yelled. But it was too late.

The hydroski flew over the edge of the river and sailed at a perfect 45 degree angle downward. The air resistance seemed to keep it aloft longer, as if falling in slow motion. Unfortunately, the river took a sharp turn in the bend as soon as the waterfall ended, and the hydroski found itself flying over land after a short time. It tumbled, down, down, into the craggy swampy land, where it impaled itself on a rock and twirled on its side. It spun like a windmill, as if it were doing cartwheels, until it hit a bad rock and crashed into the ground, catching the fuel on fire and exploding outright.

From their vantage point on the rock, just at the edge of the waterfall, Link and Mega Man watched their boat collide with the rocks and thanked their lucky stars Link had managed to jump off in the nick of time. Link's body was secure on the outcropping, but his arm was hanging off the rock, holding on to the suspended Mega Man at chain's length below, dangling on a thread.

Mega Man looked up at Link with innocent eyes. "You okay?" he called out.

"You... are... very... heavy..." Link gasped.

Mega Man looked down at the ground, looking for a spot to land. "Swing me over to that land down there," he pointed.

Link, mentally pre-thanking Mega Man for letting go, swung his arm back and then forth, towards the river bank nearby. Mega Man jumped off and landed soundly on the rocky floor, next to a plateau-like face.

The hookshot spun back on its reel and retracted fully. The Hylian stood up on the rock and switched his tool to his other hand, rotating the shoulder of his sore arm. Using the same strategy, he fired the chain into the rock wall, and swung down to Mega Man's landing spot.

"I'm gonna need to get a new hookshot by the end of this," he said, resetting his weapon and putting it back in his bag.

"Maybe we can tune it."

Mega Man took in his surroundings, figuring out where they had ended up. The mountainside they had arrived at had a shallow cavern inside. And a strange... metal door?

"We've arrived," he huffed with relief. "Robot master's lair is beyond that door."

"Goody, another one of these," Link said, looking at the sectioned out metal.

"You get used to them."

Link sighed and braced himself. "At least we get to take him together this time."

He approached the door, which opened automatically. The hallway was lined with circuitry and metal plating, oddly merged with the rock, creating some strange hybrid material. With a few more steps they reached the entrance door.

"What kind of robot is in here?" Link asked.

"You never know," Mega Man replied as the door opened, section by section with a high-pitched clinking. They passed under the jamb and were enveloped into the large square room they had predicted. No robot master was waiting for them.

Until he teleported in from above, fully formed. A large vermilion robot with a strange body. Its torso had a needle gauge on it, and its shoulders curved upward, making his chest look like a crescent.

"Gravity Man," Mega Man said. "Funny. I was expecting a water-based robot to be guarding the hydro-electric plant."

"Sorry to bring you down," he said, grinning. "Let me lift your spirits."

The needle gauge on his torso flipped to the extreme left and a faint humming, increasing in pitch, filled the air. Link suddenly felt his stomach turn upside down. His feet lifted off the ground and he found himself falling UP! The ceiling drew closer and closer. It was all Link could do to twist his body so he landed on his back instead of his body. Mega Man landed on his feet.

Link looked up and saw Gravity Man running on the ceiling... or floor... He rubbed the sore back of his head. "Do all robot masters make horrible puns related to their power?"

Mega Man wasn't paying attention, he had his eyes trained on Gravity Man, following him parallel to his place on the floor. The robot master jumped from one end of the room to the other. Mega Man tried firing as he jumped, but no shots hit.

"Who's your friend?" Gravity Man asked of the crumpled and confused Hylian.

"His name's Link, and he's as lethal as me," Mega Man said as he ran toward him.

Gravity Man switched the gauge on his chest, reversing the pull in the room, which somehow, was the opposite of Gravity Man's pull. Mega Man and Link fell back to the floor, and Gravity Man flew up to the ceiling. Link, just having gotten up and oriented, found himself flying towards the floor again and landed on his shoulder. He yelped in pain.

"He falls well," Gravity Man said and smiled evilly. He ran to the other side.

Mega Man, knowing what was coming, positioned himself a ways from Gravity Man, nearly under where he was. When the gravity switched, they passed by and Mega Man fired at point blank range. The plasma globules hit squarely on Gravity Man's torso and fizzled out with the form-fitting static light that appeared.

"Argh, he still has that light shield," Mega Man cursed next to Link, who was groaning.

"Hee, hee, it tickles," said Gravity Man from above.

"Am I on the floor or ceiling now?" Link said, staring up at some flat surface.

The robot master jumped to the other side of the floor again, and fired a slow moving plasma shot down at Link. Mega Man was about to shout out a warning, but Link saw it and rolled out of the way, where it harmlessly scorched the floor.

Gravity Man switched the polarity once again. Mega Man saw it coming and aimed again. On the pass by he fired all the shots he could. It was hard enough to hit him, but with that light shield in place, he had no hope of ever defeating this robot. All his shots disappeared as they made contact with his glittery surface.

Link tumbled into a crumpled heap as he landed on the ceiling-cum-floor. His shield was half off his shoulder, and his scabbard was splayed against his back. His bag had come open, and all his items were scattered on the floor: his flute, his fire rod, his lantern. The soreness of his body made him slow to get up and try to put his things back in. Before he even reached it, the gravity switched, and Link's eyes widened as he saw the floor sucked away from him. He tried grabbing for his bag, but that peeled off the floor too and fell with him. He landed flat on his back, lightly cracking his head on the cold metal floor.

"Stop doing that!" Link yelled out. "You're gonna make me throw up!"

A sinister smile spread across Gravity Man's face. "Do what? This?"

The gauge on his chest suddenly flipped back and forth. The three of them fell at opposite sides, then just before they reached the floor, started pulling back up again, then back down, up and down, up and down. Mega Man kept himself righted, needing only an instant for reorientation. He shot his arm cannon as much as possible, but to no effect. Gravity Man lowered and rose himself around the plasma shots. Meanwhile, Link felt like a salt shaker, being tossed up and down, up and down, watching his items float with him, while Gravity Man looked on gleefully, soaking up Mega Man's ammo. His stomach felt like they were going to fall out of his body.

"Whooooaoaoaoaoaoaoaoaoa!" Link yelled out in panic.

"Ha, ha, ha" Gravity Man laughed with his hands on his hips.

A soft, high-pitched note started sounding in the air, then faded, then came back. It sounded like Link's flute. The violent shaking was causing air to rush into the pipes.

Behind him, Gravity Man's light shield started to crackle without having taken a shot. Mega Man looked at it curiously for a moment, then fired. Gravity Man took a shot in the arm and recoiled back, grunting in pain.

Mega Man's eyes widened with surprise and he turned to Link. "Link! The flute! It's the flute! It's a sonically deflecting shield! It yields to a high frequency pitch. Grab it!"

Link saw what he meant and tried to swim through the air over to where his flute was floating in space. Combing several different swimming strokes into one, he managed to maneuver the distance enough to snatch his flute out of mid-air. With a fast, gigantic breath he tightened his lips and blew with all his might into the wooden instrument.

A loud ear-piercing C reverberated in the room. Gravity Man held his ears in pain, tumbling backward. The light shield effervesced with static, sparkling across the robot's body, then cracked like an eggshell and flew apart.

Mega Man unloaded into Gravity Man with shot after shot. The robot master was pulsatingly propelled backwards, having no gravity to resist him, until he hit the wall. As he was pinned there, Mega Man unleashed a rapid flurry of plasma power.

"Noooooo!" Gravity Man roared. With one final shot, he exploded in balls of yellow and white light spinning outwards and a echoing sound that gradually faded.

"All right!" Mega Man said as he dropped to the ground on his feet.

Link plummeted to the floor one final time on his back, where he rested. "Yay..." he said weakly as he held up a finger to indicate he was all right.

Mega Man walked to the center and jumped into the air. He hung there for a second as the balls of light returned and rotated around him. He absorbed their light energy into his body and into his system. The energy reformed into solid metal as a weapon slot chip in his arm cannon.

Link finished gathering up his items and stood, as Mega Man dropped back to the floor and checked his weapon copy inventory to make sure the Gravity Hold was there.

"What was that?" Link asked.

"You handle how you get items in your world, and I'll handle it in mine," he sarcastically sneered.

Having finished their work here, they exited the room the same way they came, emerging from the dark hallway, and back to the waterfall and the river. Evening was starting to drop a blue curtain over the sky.

"Phew," Link said, rubbing his bruises. "Where do we go now?"

"The inverser. We need to take a special transport to get up there. I think we're going to have to call for a vehicle to take us there," Mega Man said, surveying the situation. If only they hadn't trashed the hydroski, that would have been a handy device to use. He and Link walked down the river bank, along the flow of the water, while Mega Man opened a communication line to the law enforcement in the area, intending to let them know the situation in the hydroelectric plant was taken care of, and that they needed a ride.

Link looked back at the misty waterfall, seeing the strange mist around it grow thicker. Especially around the middle of the falls, rather than the bottom. He stopped for a second, with Mega Man still walking forward, and examined it closer. It was almost like something was coming through.

"Hold it," Link said and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. He too stopped to look at the waterfall.

The mist grew larger and larger, until it reached capacity. Suddenly, a gigantic ship punched through the falling water. The decayed wood and rotting sails were instantly familiar to Link.

For some reason none of them could fathom, the ghost ship had arrived in this world.

**Next Chapter: Return of the Ghost Ship**


	23. Chapter 55: Return of the Ghost Ship

_Chapter 55: Return of the Ghost Ship_

"Ahoy! Ahoy there!" came a cry from the deck of the ship some twenty feet above.

Mega Man and Link stared stupefied up at the wooden planks of the deck, their mouths hanging open. The familiar face of Captain Horatio, as a bluescaled transparent ghost, hung over the railing of the galleon, his round, bushy beard tucked over the banister.

Mega Man, remembering his manners, weakly waved up to the captain. Link remained stunned.

Captain Horatio said. "Fancy meeting you blokes here again. Fate makes strange bedfellows, eh?"

"Uh, yeah," Link said. He was as astonished as his robot friend. How in the world was the ghost ship they'd seen in Hyrule appearing before them now? How did it crossover?

"Fancy you be needin' a ride again, then, eh?" He turned back to his men on the ship. "Drop anchor! Lower the rope! Put your backs into it lads!"

They could see the apparitions of pirates drudging their tasks along the main deck of the ship, tottering forward slowly like they were half-asleep. A moment later, the rope ladder dropped off the side of the ship and dangled before the two. Link shrugged to Mega Man, took hold of the rope, and climbed up.

"Come aboard, come aboard," Horatio said as they clambered over the banister. "Our quests cross paths again. Always good to see a familiar face."

Link and Mega Man stared at the squat Captain Horatio, then looked away to the landscape of the river. The pirate arched his eyebrow at them, not expecting a cold reception to friends who should be gratified.

"What's the matter?" he said. "Ye look like ye've seen a ghost. Ha!"

"Uh, captain, what are you doing here?" Link asked.

"Have ye forgotten already? We search for the Pearls of the Triforce. Great wealth-"

"No, I mean, what are you doing 'here'. Here 'here'."

The captain looked at Link oddly for a second and scratched the side of his head. "I dinnae understand yer meaning, lad."

"Captain, do you realize you are no longer in Hyrule?" Mega Man interjected.

"Not... Hyrule?" the captain stammered. He looked behind him at the countryside, where the sun had completely set, curtaining the sky with cerulean. "Have we sailed beyond its borders?"

"Yeah, I'd say so," Link scoffed. "This is nowhere near Hyrule. I can't even tell you how far from Hyrule this is."

"Then... where are we?"

"... Not Hyrule," was all Link could come up with for an answer.

"It'd be difficult to explain," Mega Man said.

The captain walked slowly to the other side of the ship, gripped the railing with his translucent hands, and looked out at the bobbing countryside. He spoke with lament in his voice. "The land has changed so much in my time, that I can scarcely recognize it anymore. Like a caterpillar turned to a cocoon turned to a butterfly, and then back again. Too many lives of men have passed before my eyes for me to see the differences anymore." He turned back to Link expediently. "Then why, pray tell, are you here?" he questioned Link.

"I took a magic portal from Hyrule to here," he explained. "This is Mega Man's world. It's difficult to explain." He paused for a second, then turned to Mega Man. "Yeah, how do we explain this?" he probed Mega Man, having come up with no answers for himself.

"I- I don't know," Mega Man said with surprise. "I could barely explain how you got here, but at least from a general angle it makes sense. But you," he indicated the captain and his ship. "Link was the only one through the portal. But it's clear that the fact you both came from Hyrule is not a coincidence."

"Two things from Hyrule," Link pondered.

"It fortunately means that either my transporter or your portal didn't cause a rip in the fabric of the space/time continuum."

Link nodded like he knew what that was. "So it's something to do with the transport, like, maybe, I wasn't the only one to transport through?"

"No, I think you were. But that wasn't all." Mega Man looked at the captain. "I don't know enough about ghosts to make a firm judgment though. They are something more... metaphysical and unexplainable."

"Watch what you say, laddie," Horatio pointed a finger at him.

"I'm serious. There are no such things as ghosts in my world. That's why this is so unusual. You're something that exists in Hyrule that shouldn't exist in my world. And yet you do."

"And you didn't come through any portal or anything?" Link asked.

"Just sailing the waters as we always do. I noticed nothing strange 'til we saw you."

Mega Man thought out loud to himself. "The fact that you were the first to come through, and now them. Perhaps more? It's strange. Like part of your world is bleeding over." He looked up at Link. "Because you came through, there is still a tether from Hyrule to you. As if, somehow, there's still a part of you attached to Hyrule. Like an invisible rope. I don't think I can explain it any better than that."

"No, I understand," Link said. "The ghost ship is here because I'm here, like I punctured through, and the hole's still open."

"But not so that anything physical can come through. More like the essence of the worlds is leaking through a pipe. Hyrule is the place you belong, and the more time you spend here, the more of your world leaks over."

"So does that mean your world is leaking over? Does that mean Hyrule is full of... robots?"

"I don't think so. Nothing that was constructed by humans could go. Hyrule would probably be experiencing no change, because robots and everything else here is simply made from materials that exist in nature, at their most basic level. Everything in my world exists in your world, but not everything in your world exists in mine."

"So certain intangible elements of my world are leaking over."

"And ghosts are certainly intangible."

"Ha," the captain scoffed.

"And magic?" Link immediately leapt to his bag and pulled out his lantern. The fervent attempts to light it he made were unsuccessful. No light ignited at its center, no matter how much he tried.

"Never mind," he said. It looked like magic wasn't one of the things to leak over.

Mega Man said, "I don't know enough about magic to say whether or not its one of those things that could leak over. For all I know, what you call magic exists in your water supply only. But it's all the more reason to get you back home. If things continue like this, the two worlds may eventually merge. And I don't want to know how people in my time would will to magic."

"You know, you're pretty smart for someone who says they have no creative thinking skills," Link smiled.

Mega Man politely shrugged and smiled shyly. Link held out a small hope that maybe his magic could work, if given enough time to saturate this realm.

"Ye have no magic in this world? How do ye live?" Captain Horatio asked.

Mega Man answered, "Well, what Link uses magic for, we use technology to accomplish. We build machines to do work that would otherwise be impossible or difficult by humans."

"Machines that do magic? What'll they think of next."

"I am such a machine."

Captain Horatio stopped in his tracks. "Wh- what?"

"It's true," Link replied. "That's not armor he's wearing, it's metal. It's his skin. Inside, it's all parts."

"Glory be. This world where they've replaced men with machines. It's far beyond any form of Hyrule I've ever seen. You do speak the truth, then. This is not our homeland." He ran to the bow of the boat and leaned forward, looking to the open river. "Such a man-machine, what feats would he be capable of? No need for humans anymore, when they can be built."

"There is still need for humans. But I'd rather not get into the details of my home society."

"And I'd care not to hear them. My mind feels taxed as it is."

"Don't hold it against him," Link said.

"Aye, I'd never do that. Ha, look at me," he spread his arms, "At least he has some parts inside his skin. Ha! Ha, ha!" he guffawed. "Well, now that that gobbledygook is out of the way, I'd be wagering the two of you be needin' a ride then. Where can I take ye?"

"Actually, that won't be necessary. I've already requested for a vehicle to come by and pick us up. I'm afraid your boat is just too slow to get us where we're going?"

"Too slow? 'Twas the fastest ship in the fleet when it sailed. What manner of boats would you have here that could go faster?"

"Believe me, you don't want to know," Link said as he shook his head and held his delicate stomach.

"Thanks for asking though," Mega Man said.

"Well, boys, 'twas good seeing ye again. Hoping one day we meet under more fortunate circumstances than these."

The two of them nodded. They walked back to the rope ladder and climbed down as Captain Horatio took his place at the center of his boat.

"All right boys!" he called out to his men. "We won't be finding any pearls here. Shove off! Trim the sails! Hoist the anchor! Look lively now!"

As Link jumped down from the boat's line, the vessel began to tread slowly down the river bank, sailing on invisible wind into the west. Link and Mega Man waved him goodbye. At the same time, Mega Man opened a communication protocol to NASA/DSMA, the international space transportation organization. "This is Mega Man," he said into his communicator. Link looked at him, then realized he was communicating with someone out of reach, maybe on the Computer. He was used to it by now.

Mega Man continued, "You've been alerted about the situation? Good. Our vehicle should be arriving shortly. Please have the tether-rocket ready for deployment as soon as... excellent... what...?"

He jerked around in surprise and terror. "What do you mean _Roll is up there already?_"

**Next Chapter: Rocket Man**


	24. Chapter 56: Rocket Man

_Chapter 56: Rocket Man_

"T-minus ten minutes till liftoff," came the male voice from the intercom. The large red digital numbers above the front window flipped to 10:00 and counted backwards from there. "You boys strapped in tight?"

"Just about," Mega Man responded to the bodiless person. He was standing over Link's chair, hooking in his cross-straps back to his chair, while Link reclined in his throne. The iron thresh of the fabric would keep him safe and sound for the flight. Link felt like he was a hay bale being strapped to a cart.

"Does it really need to be this tight?" the Hylian asked.

"Yes," the robot responded firmly. After he was done securing Link in his chair he laid down in his reclining seat and fastened his own harness.

"If you guys are sitting down, we're going to fasten the line now."

"Go ahead," Mega Man called out as he finished with one of his bands.

The device in which they were sitting began to hum and vibrate. It also began to rock back slowly, like his chair was reclining. Then a small sense of panic set in, as it felt like he was reclining too far than was comfortable. He felt like he was about to turn upside down.

"Uh, Mega Man..."

"This is normal, just rotating the craft up."

From Link's very secured and barely movable head, the ground shown in the windshield was slowly disappearing, being swallowed by a blue sky that enveloped the screen. A thick gray line divided it in two, tapering and disappearing off into the atmosphere.

The voice said, "We're attaching you to the tether now... Warming up the localized imbalance reverser... Systems reporting green for tension strength for the wheelmotor... And the quantum oscillators under you are good to go, they're quantifying at .08... Pentagate status... Starting up the ambient flux matrix in hexacutter mode... And the weather is maintaining at 75 degrees and clear. Looks like it's going to be a smooth ride for you boys today."

"Good," Link said nervously. The only thing he understood was the part about the weather. He was starting to feel like he was in a tin-can of death. None of the other mediums of transportation he'd been in so far needed this much equipment, or needed a whole giant complex of buildings just to launch from, or this much protocol, or these straps.

"Just get us up there quickly," Mega Man said. "The situation could be dangerous." All he wanted was to get up there as fast as possible. Contacting them ahead of time was the smartest thing he did. The good people at NASA/DSMA had speedily prepared as much as they could before they arrived. There was a slight argument about Link's lack of training for adapting to space, but they didn't have time for that. Mega Man was banking on his ability to learn fast. Space travel was safe, but it was no walk in the park. Why did Roll go up there? Taking on Wily's robots on the safety of Earth was bad enough, but in the isolation of space? Where, if you were stuck for help, it could be days before any got to you? Mega Man cursed her lack of planning and foresight. She just wanted to help? She might have hurt them more than she could realize. She might have known about Wily from all his experiences, but that was no foundation to know what those robots were like in battle circumstances. Wily was crafty and creative and he could come up with anything for a given situation. And he had no idea if Roll's upgrades were even capable of defending against his onslaught.

With the radiation interfering with signals, he couldn't open a personal communication between the two of them. And the station wasn't responding to any ground-to-station frequencies. Anything could be happening right now, and it was taking all his resolve not to fly into a panic about the fate of his sister. He had to keep his cool and calm demeanor in front of Link, who was probably terrified of being thrust into space, a vastly foreign concept to him.

The clock turned past the 7:00 mark. "Do you have any more questions about space? Or the station?" Mega Man turned his head to Link and asked from his supine position. The man on the intercom was droning on more about equipment checks to ground control.

"Yeah, sure, no problem," he replied calmly. "It's like a castle in the clouds."

"Well, actually, its above the clouds. And there's a tether attaching it to Earth. And that's what we're in right now. Like a space elevator."

"No, no, I get that." Link waved his hand dismissively. Or at least he tried to, as his wrist was strapped to the armrest.

"It's going to go really fast. You know that right."

"Yes, yes, it's fine."

Mega Man was overly concerned about him. His business was learning about new environments. His friend had explained to him that space was what you see at night, after the bright light of the sun had gone down and you could see it. It was where all the stars were, and it was vast! Vast, vast, vast. Infinitely vast. Link couldn't even get his mind around how big space was. And there was no air up there, so they needed airtight metal 'shuttles' and accommodations to survive up there. No biggie. This wasn't anything he couldn't wrap his mind around. Wait until he told the astrologers back home, though.

The craft he was in now wasn't any different either. In fact, it felt a lot like the car they had taken in the Antarctic. Maybe a little bigger, and more industrial. And he was facing up. But he wasn't worried, it was just a new experience. Nothing really new. Except for 'G's'. He didn't know what those where but Mega Man said he was going to be feeling a lot of them. Must have been something like particles in space. Could be interesting. Maybe they'd power him up.

Mega Man looked from Link back up to the screen, listening to the messages from ground control and watching the countdown clock tick down the seconds, approaching the two-minute mark. Hopefully, after this they could grab the final piece Wily needed and stop his plans, but it was unlikely. That doctor always had a way of getting the elements he wanted and leaving his trash behind to give him a headache. Fortunately, Mega Man always had a way of stopping him before it was too late. He could only hope that would be the case this time. This was the last chance.

"Ready to activate the launch matrix. You guys ready?"

"Good to go," Mega Man said, giving a thumbs-up to no one in particular.

"We're all green down here. Activating the primary system start-up for launch." The multitude of lights on the control panel in front of them, most of which were red, randomly started to turn to yellow gradually, and then to blue, as the man ticked off parameters and said they were 'go'.

"Pumping the primer now."

Some gauges and meters began to fluctuate, steadily increasing the light indicators from red to green. Link had no idea what any of these meant, but he hadn't known what anything meant since he got here.

Suddenly, a slow vibration started to reverberate in the hull, startling Link. He twisted his head back and forth, looking around as the countdown clock moved past one minute. He looked pleadingly at Mega Man, whose eyes were shut, as if he was trying to sleep. Link swallowed and tried to relax, looking up at the shaking sky.

"Still going well. Oxygen levels, maintaining. Hull pressure stable. Launch matrix activated. Oscillators to full."

The vibration continued as normal. Link was alert, but not scared. This was certainly a big procedure just to go to space.

"Guidance system aligned. Mark: T-minus ten seconds and counting."

The feeling of dread ran cold in Link's veins as he knew something was about to happen in ten seconds, but no idea what.

"Five, four, three, two, one. Propulsion running. Launch commit."

The countdown clock reached zero and started counting back up. But other than that, nothing was happening. The vibration suddenly died. Dead silence. They hadn't moved. Was it working?

"Is this working?" Link said to Mega Man. "There aren't any problems?"

"Yes, everything's fine."

"Nothing's happening."

"It's going to go really fast. I'd suggest you shut your eyes."

If this was going really fast into space, this was easy. "Aw, it's fine. I actually think I'm getting used to these fast-EEERGGKKK!"

Link suddenly felt himself being pressed into the back of his chair like a pancake. The capsule they were in shot off like a rocket up the length of the tether. A thunderous noise masked Link's screams of terror. He couldn't hear anything, even as he yelled at Mega Man to stop the car. He couldn't even breathe. It felt like there was an anvil on his chest. He had to consciously concentrate on breathing, on moving his chest up and down. Out of the slits of his eyes he saw white patches of fog passing through them at breakneck speeds. The sky faded from blue to a pallid wall of white. All he could concentrate on was the immense, unseen pressure on his body.

They punched through the wall of white and into a darker blue. Link's trembling head slowly turned toward Mega Man, who was simply watching the atmosphere pass by, calmly and quietly. Link had tears in his eyes and snot dripping out of his nose. His teeth were grinding together and he slowly brought back his neck around to look up at the screen.

The blue suddenly faded into black. Millions upon millions of stars floated in front of his eyes, and he could see a gray dot attached to the tether they were heading towards. He'd never seen where the border was. It just suddenly went from day to night. The vibration was also receding, and he could hear himself think again. He could breathe again. A peculiar peaceful sensation washed over the panic that he had felt before.

"What happened?" Link said.

"We're about halfway there," Mega Man responded.

"Halfway there? When did I pass out?"

"Pass out? You didn't pass out."

"It's night, didn't I pass out?"

"It's not night, it's space."

"I thought you said it was hundreds of kilometers away!"

"It was. And now we're halfway there."

Link looked out in wonderment at the quickly approaching space station.

"I told you it was fast," Mega Man said.

Link nodded in astonishment. "The ride's so smooth now."

"We're pulling further and further out of the planet's gravity. Inertia is doing the rest now."

It was true, they did seem to be gliding on the tether like a zipline. Link was finally calm enough now to appreciate the infinite immensity that space was. This was what the night was really like. How much more was out here? How many more worlds could there be?

"Retro thrusters firing," the computerized voice of the capsule said.

"What's that mean?" Link asked.

"Slowing down. We're approaching the station."

Indeed, they did appear to be slowing down. The station was becoming larger and larger in view now. It appeared just like the picture Mega Man showed him. There was a large metal circle floating around a vaguely cylindrical tower. Spokes attached to the halo like a wheel. And it just kept getting bigger and bigger as they moved closer, its growing size astonishing Link.

His eyes widened as it almost seemed like they were going to crash into the station, but by looking at the tether, he knew they weren't going to. They passed under the gigantic rotating halo, which Link followed as it passed overhead. Mega Man gave a small smile at Link's child-like fascination.

They slid along the tether, arcing up and under the circle and to the bottom of the cylinder. It was almost as big as a building, but it seemed like they were crawling towards it.

"Going kinda slow?" Link asked.

"Don't want to fall off the tether and tumble into space."

The Computer said, "Approaching Space Station. Please remain in seats until further notice is given."

The capsule finally came to a complete stop, apparently under the bottom of the station. Nothing happened for a while yet though. Some lights flickered between yellow and blue.

"Airlock connecting... airlock connected... pressurizing chambers... complete. Releasing safety belts."

The straps holding Link and Mega Man simultaneously and spontaneously released. Link was surprised for a second, then followed Mega Man's lead and stood up.

The robot stood behind the seats and looked up at the ceiling. A door panel opened up and a ladder dropped down into the capsule. The two of them climbed up, past a vertical hallway, and entered a hub room in between two hallways.

This was interesting. Things looked even more advanced than in other industrial buildings he'd seen, but wasn't too different in essence to the factories or plants that were numerous on his world. Just a bit more constrictive.

Mega Man approached a large viewscreen in the hub. It was a computer terminal, and someone had accessed it recently. Interesting. Could have been Roll. He pulled up an information feed and downloaded all the pertinent information that had happened after Roll's arrival. Nothing major had occurred. At least no explosions or fissures that he was looking for.

He looked on the motion sensors, scanning for Wily's minor robots. There were surprisingly few, mostly away from the center of the station. Maybe Roll had taken them all out already. There was nothing too unusual, except for on the hub deck. There seemed to some activity up there. Something larger than normal. Worth checking out. He changed from motion sensors to the nearest surveillance camera.

"Aw, no, not again."

He could see the yellow devil traipsing around the deck malevolently, his one red eye staring forward. It was almost as if it was looking for something. The camera kept targeted on him as he passed by, whirring its servos.

Suddenly, the cyclops stopped in its tracks. It whipped around with its giant meaty hand and crashed into the camera, wiping it off the wall like a bug. The image on the monitor turned to black.

"We've got to get up there now," Mega Man said, and pulled on Link's tunic toward the elevator. They speedily headed up the lift and exited onto the hub deck. This was a big circular corridor, walled off in the middle. They looked to the left and right cautiously as they poked their heads out into the area. No activity. Link drew his sword, Mega Man his arm cannon, and they emerged.

They heard a sudden roar from the left and darted towards it. Two giant yellow boulders flew around the corner, speeding like comets.

"Duck!" Mega Man yelled and dropped to the floor. Link saw two more coming at him in a pair. The Hylian weaved back and forth, barely avoiding their trajectory. He could feel the wind as they rushed by. Mega Man grabbed him by the tunic and dragged him back down. The boulders passed overhead, accompanied by a flock of others.

"What in blazes is that?" Link asked. "Robots?"

"One robot. He has the ability to split into parts. Very dangerous! Jump!"

One of the rocks was skidding on the floor, intending to bowl them over. They leapt over the projectile, then returned to a crouching stance as more dashed in the air.

Mega Man turned around as soon as the onslaught let up, and Link did the same. The pile of boulders that had collected formed into a gelatinous yellow hulk, with a single red eye.

"It's only vulnerable point is the eye," Mega Man instructed, putting on his ferocity and fell back to a more strategic position.

"No problem with that," Link said as he pulled out his bow and arrow. He'd encountered many one-eyed monsters, especially in the Dark World, and it looked like things weren't different here. With his arrow nocked he fired a shot straight into his red orb. The metal point of the arrow clinked off and fell away.

In response, the robot's eye flashed white and a laser fired down at Link. He jumped out of the way, just in the nick of time and the light scorched at his feet.

"Aggh, my boots are on fire!" Link yelped and danced out of the line of fire. Mega Man stepped up and leapt in the air, firing three shots straight at the eye. The plasma was absorbed fully, but the monster made no reaction. It took a huge step forward and backhanded Mega Man against the wall. As the little robot fell down, he tried to figure out why the rock monster wasn't feeling his shots. It was upgraded and he was downgraded. It was probably going to take more shots than normal to defeat this gargantuan.

The yellow devil picked up Mega Man with two bulky fingers and flung him down the hallway. He skidded along the ground like a doll.

Link dropped back into the sight of the monster. "Eat ice!" he said and thrust his ice rod at it. Nothing happened. The cyclops returned fire with a laser blast from its eye. Link instinctively brought out his shield and held it in front of him. The laser collided with the shield and shattered it into so many pieces it might as well have been vaporized. Link was left holding not much more than a flimsy armguard among a thin sheet of smoke.

The cyclops brought down his fist like a hammer, Link rolled out of the way, barely avoiding being crushed into jelly. With a last ditch effort, he took his sword in his hand, taking a breath to pray, and threw it like a javelin at the red glowing eye. The monster simply waved the blade away with its fingers before it even came close to hitting. It clanged behind the yellow devil, far out of reach.

"Uh, Mega Man," Link called out as he dropped back and helped his dizzy and prone friend off the floor. "I think we need to call in reinforcements."

"We are the reinforcements," Mega Man uttered as he stood up on one knee and swayed side-to-side as Link worked to steady him.

The yellow devil picked up its huge feet and plunged them into the ground, moving ever closer to the cowering pair. With each step closer, the height of the monster seemed to increase as its shadow enveloped the two.

It suddenly stopped and slowly twisted its head/body mass to the left. Link and Mega Man furrowed their brows at this odd behavior, until they realized what it was looking at. Behind him was a picture window looking out into space. The yellow devil turned around and thump, thump, thumped toward the window.

"What's it doing?" Link asked.

"Stop him!" Mega Man said, freeing himself of Link's help and standing on his own. "He's going to break the window. If he does that, we'll be sucked out into space!"

Link and Mega Man sprinted toward the retreating back of the cyclops robot. His huge girth was taking up most of the hallway, and Mega Man couldn't find a way around him. Link picked up his sword and started clanging it against the back of his leg to no avail. Mega Man futily fired his plasma cannon at his backside. The shots bounced off harmlessly. It was getting closer and closer to the window.

It stopped its ascent as it reached the portal and wound up its gigantic fist ready to make a giant thrust through the transparent material. Mega Man and Link redoubled their ineffective efforts, desperate to do something to distract him from what he was about to do.

"EEEYAAARGH!"

Just as the rock monster reached the apex of his punch, the ceiling burst open and Roll dropped down onto the yellow devil. She wrapped her legs around the top of its blobby head and rode him like a bronco, holding onto it with one hand and a jagged sword-like shard of metal in her other, high above her head. The cyclops released his fist and sluggishly flailed its limbs trying to grab the insect on its head, but its arms were too thick to bend that far and reach her successfully.

"Stay away from my brother!"

She plunged the metal shard at an arc, down into the cyclops eye with super-robot strength. The crystal shattered, spitting out bits of broken vermilion on the ground, and red and yellow sparks flowed out like blood. The yellow devil thrashed its arms desperately. If it could scream in agony, it would have. The frantic flogging shook Roll off of her perch and she collapsed on the ground at Mega Man and Link's feet. Her brother immediately crouched down to help her.

"I did it, Rock," she said weakly through half-closed eyes.

Link watched the yellow devil toss and tumble about, trying to compensate for its broken eye. Parts of its liquid litanium armor became goopy and began dripping off its body, liquefying on the floor. As it picked up its left leg, part of it stuck in the floor and tore away from the rest of the body. Without stability, it leaned backward, little by little, falling away. When it crashed on the ground the liquid metal splashed up like a huge drop of milk and thinned out to the consistency of water. What was left of the yellow devil seeped through the cracks of the floor and laid at rest.

Link turned his attention back to Roll. Mega Man had his arms around her shoulders, trying to help her. "Roll, are you all right?"

"Yes," she whispered. "But my energy... so low... so sorry... I thought-"

"Don't worry, don't worry. We can get you some energy, there's plenty on the station. We can you get you some energy."

"I got rid of the robots."

"Yeah, you did good, Roll... you did good." Mega Man hugged her shoulder tightly, bringing her across his knees. Her eyes closed and she slept soundly.

* * *

It wasn't long before Mega Man found the energy capsule he needed for Roll by destroying a weak robot. Mega Man explained, while on the hunt for such a thing, that sometimes when robots were destroyed, they could leave behind their power cores if they were damaged in such a way to leave them intact. Sometimes it was just the inner core. If they were fortunate, sometimes they left the entire nucleus which yielded four to five times as much power. But the power cores contained directly usable energy that robots, like Mega Man and Roll, could plug into their internal reaction system and power it up if it was low. Like robot food.

Once Mega Man delivered it to Roll, she was right as rain and good to go again. Link realized that the near instantaneous reaction was similar to a red potion in his universe. Although he kept the remark to himself, he appreciated seeing one of the parallels of their two worlds.

Once the trio was ready, they headed up to the control deck, the central command of the station. Mega Man had his arm cannon out and ready as the lift doors open, with Link and Roll at his sides. Not a soul was there though.

"Interesting," he remarked. The three stepped out onto the deck, their eyes scanning the computer stations and consoles for human life. There was a large picture window stretching from ceiling to floor and wrapping around nearly half the hemispherical control center. The small window dome at the top of the command deck was also clear and gave a view of the space above and ahead. But not a soul was around and only the quiet bleeping of computers killed the silence. "This gets eerier and eerier."

"No time to worry about that, we've got to fix the station's orbit," Roll said.

Mega Man nodded and moved up to the pilot's console near the head of the deck. Link and Roll looked over his shoulder, watching him zip through screens and command lines, trying to access the engine control.

"The engines were fired at 2217, by unknown user."

"Must've been Wily," Roll said. "Can you fix it?"

"Trying. I need to calculate trajectory, mass, current gravity, lots of variables."

"Well, come on, Rock, it's not rocket science," Roll said glibly. Her brother smirked briefly and focused on the console in front of him.

Mega Man's fingers flashed between screen and keyboard interface as he racked his computerized brain trying to figure out how to bring the space station back in orbit. No one had ever trained him for operating a space station, but you could be an expert on anything if you just used logic. The difficulty lay in the projecting calculations, and if he could take care of that, he would be home free.

Suddenly the screen switched to a red flashing light with the words 'ACCESS DENIED'.

"Wha-?" Link said.

"It's protected. Access to the engine control is encoded. I knew there would be a lock." He slammed his fist on the metal panel to accentuate his anger. "Cracking." Mega Man set to work, trying to decode the password using backdoor means. This meant going under the covers of the operating system, which was no easy task for a schema of this magnitude.

"Double lock?" Mega Man wondered out loud. He'd discovered something unusual.

"I'm on it," Roll said and took control of the console two away from Mega Man. She began proceeding down the same screens as Mega Man, trying to look under the hood for the way in. The brother and sister team worked in tandem, accessing and manipulating the memory registers to create a path in, while Link looked between their flashing screens. They were concentrating so hard on interacting with the screen they barely noticed he was there watching.

"Fifty percent," Mega Man said.

"Almost there," Roll said.

"I'm under the database code control. Nearly..."

"Enter code 2456224687. I got it!"

"Me too," Mega Man said. "Activate in three, two, one, mark!"

Both Roll and Mega Man pressed buttons simultaneously, whatever they were. A rumbling was heard deep with in the bowels of the station, accompanied by the vocal message 'firing thrusters'.

"Yes!" Link yelled out.

Mega Man let out a sigh. "That was tense," Roll said, somehow delighted to be in the thick of dangerous times.

"Yeah, no kidding," her brother replied. "That was weird, a double encryption. You'd need to have two people to just to access it. How did Wily get around that to fire the thrusters to get it out of orbit in the first place? He couldn't do it by himself."

"Probably with me," came a voice from behind.

The three of them turned around and looked at the elevator door. Standing just outside the doors there was a robot master, covered in a light blue crystalline armor set over his black body suit. Four melded long gems protruded from the brow of his helmet, splaying back like a star.

"Or should I say... us," he said as he stepped back in a battle stance and a gleam swiped over his armor.

A sparkle on his helmet grew brighter, like a star, until it exploded outward in a flash of light. Link, Mega Man, and the others closed their eyes and turned away for the briefest of moments as they were blinded. When they looked back, they saw two of the same robot, one spacing itself out from his brother and readying itself to fight.

**Next Chapter: What Goes Up...**


	25. Chapter 57: What Goes Up

_Chapter 57: What Goes Up..._

"Gemini Man," Mega Man said coldly.

"Gemini Man?" Link queried. He looked back down at the sword he had partially unsheathed and shoved it back in his scabbard. He should have known with that crystal armor.

"You're going to be the last thing this space station sees," they said in tandem, and held up their squarish arm cannons on their hands. Two blue lasers emitted out, heading straight for the group of them. The three of them turned and leaped over the top of the computer console they were standing against for cover. The lasers passed over, reflected against the glass, and started bouncing around the room haphazardly.

Crouching behind their shelter, Mega Man leaned next to Roll and whispered something quickly. She nodded. He then turned to Link. "Can you provide a distraction?"

"Can I?" Link said incredulously. "I _am_ a distraction!"

Mega Man looked back at Roll who nodded once firmly.

"Go!" he said.

Link jumped back out from his cover and began brandishing his sword with one his favorite techniques, rolling it side to side and spinning it in his hand, crying out an attention-getting battle yell. Mega Man did the same, though he jumped to the opposite side and fired his plasma cannon at the two of them. The robot masters moved to intercept the two foes respectively, matching their movements.

As the gap between them was wide enough, Roll leapt out from above the console, with her feet under Tango in skateboard form. Fire burst out of the tail-pipes as Roll grabbed air, holding onto her flat cat. She flew through the narrow space in between corridors, down the center of the command deck. With the Gemini Men each assigned someone else, they had opened a clear gap to the elevator, but she had to speed.

"Get her!" they shouted out, with their guns pointing to the others. She zipped by on her board and disappeared into the lift. Mega Man and Link ducked back under the computer console, with their distraction complete. Roll slapped the emergency close button without looking as she breached the doorway. The robot masters stopped their fighting and fled to the door, but it was too late. They clambered up the shut entrance.

"After her!" the left one said to the right.

"She's of no concern," the other said. "The inverser is safe, and she can't escape from the station. We'll finish these two off, then go after her. The way through is shut."

Meanwhile, Link rejoined Mega Man, who was checking his arm cannon, behind the computer console. Link was exasperated from the stress of so many battles, but his gusto was increasing his tolerance limit.

"Is he going to split into anymore guys?" Link said between breaths.

"No, just two. He's named after a constellation that resembles a pair of mythical twins."

"Which one's the real one?" Link had his eyes looking behind him with his back to the rampart. He gripped his sword tighter in his hand.

Mega Man was a little confused with this question. "They're both real. You hurt one, you hurt both of them. It's another of Wily's tricks with holograms."

"How does it work?" Link said, looking back.

"I don't know," he said sarcastically, "I've never gotten close enough to find out."

Gemini Man and his brother had lost track of Mega Man and Link when they became distracted by Roll. They scanned the computer consoles which had become small barracks in front of them. "How foolish!" one said. "You might have managed to scrap together some sort of defense with three. But now it's two on two."

"Did I say two on two?" the other Gemini Man taunted. "I mean two on very shielded and invulnerable two."

"Is that so?" Mega Man said, looking at Link and smiling. The Hylian smiled back, already digging out his instrument. "Play it again, Link."

Link took a huge breath and blew into the flute as hard as he could. The ear-piercing shriek felt like it would shatter the thick windows.

The two incarnations of Gemini Man took a step back as if the ground was trembling underneath them. Their light shields flashed with static and fuzz, as if they'd been hit. The flickering went faster and faster until the white veil splintered and dissolved away.

"Our shields!" Gemini Man said.

Mega Man popped up from behind the console. "Now... it's even." He fired off a series of blasts from his arm cannon. The Gemini Men dodged most of the yellow balls of plasma. Link emerged as well, spinning his sword in his hand, ready to test its might, crystal armor or no.

The Gemini twins ignored Mega Man's blasts and fired their own Gemini lasers at various points around the room. Blue beams of light tore through the computer equipment, and refracted off the walls. In an instant the command deck became a hazard course with lasers bouncing back and forth like tennis balls.

As Link finished brandishing his sword, he looked ahead. "Holy cow!" he exclaimed as he saw a blue ray of light zipping toward him. Without thinking, he leaned back and let the beam pass over his head, where it bounced against the window wall at a 45-degree angle and headed up. More were coming. Link spun around, weaving and ducking around the rays threatening to tear through him. He flipped onto a handstand, still holding his sword, as one whizzed between his legs. With all the dodging he was doing, he couldn't manage to get a step forward. His shield might have deflected the blasts, but it was in pieces now. His agility training was paying off in spades, but he was useless like this. At the first opportunity he ducked back behind the console for protection.

Mega Man treaded back and forth between either enemy, holding his arm cannon steady as a rock and firing constantly. But the robot masters were fast and coordinated their efforts. They could jump as high as the room, and as soon as one came down, the other leapt up and fired a volley of lasers around. The blue bomber strafed back and forth, trying to avoid the onslaught and still make some hits. It was being very ineffectual. He noticed Link had hidden back behind the console and dove beside him.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No," Link said. "But I can't do anything, there's too many of those things flying around," he said, obviously flustered.

"Lasers," Mega Man corrected.

"Come out, come out!" Gemini Man said, ceasing their leaping tactics and heading over to where they had taken cover.

"I really hate hiding," Link said.

"Don't worry about it. You can't do anything about them. I'll take care of it." He touched Link on the shoulder in support and sprang back over the console. He fought more intensely, knowing it was just going to be him in this battle. The exchange continued.

Link stared open-mouthed ahead. Can't do anything? No way. No way was Link going to sit here idle while he did all the work. That was not what he had come here for. He was not a cheerleader. His sword might not have been able to even get close to Gemini Man, but he had projectile weapons too. He pulled out his fire rod out of his knapsack and held it out in front of him, concentrating hard. It remained as dull and lifeless as when he had entered this world.

"Quit jumping around!" Gemini Man said from their position.

"You first!" Mega Man replied. They were leaping like frogs, trying to avoid getting hit. Only the Gemini Man robots could jump much higher and faster, and more of their spread was filling the room than Mega Man's directed volley. Only his superior robot reflexes and awareness were keeping him untouched. The gemini lasers moved slowly, but were numerous and unpredictable in their movements.

Link kept trying his fire rod, furrowing his brows as he shook it violently, as if trying to get ink from a pen. The clicking noise it made when he tried to start it repeated hollowly.

"Come on, work. Work, dammit, I know you can." He was clinging onto that thin thread of hope he had maintained ever since he found magic couldn't work in this world. That somehow, magic wasn't confined just to his Hyrule. That it was more than that. That it was everywhere. That it crossed borders. That it had no limits. That it was still there. But the fire rod continued to give empty responses.

"Errrgh," Link grunted in desperate frustration. This was his one and only chance. Mega Man couldn't possibly avoid all those lasers for long. Eventually, one was going to bounce off and hit him. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't stand by and watch him die in battle. He hadn't come this far to see that. He slammed the rod violently against the computer in frustration.

A small flame suddenly enveloped the red orb at the end of the scepter with a quiet FOOMPH.

Link stared wide-eyed and stunned at the pilot light of the fire rod. He let forth a weak "Hah!"

Mega Man used the console as a jumping point and bounded into the air. Suddenly, two lasers converged from opposite ends, bouncing off the ground and up into Mega Man's body. He flashed with an electrical charge, grimacing in hot pain, and fell on his back on the computer console, disoriented.

Just as the jumping Gemini Man returned to the floor, and the two set off, ready to charge him, Link surfaced from behind his blockade, holding his two enchanted staffs, one in each hand.

"Hey, boys," he said, twirling the twin rods in his hand. "Surprise!"

He thrust the fire rod in front of him as hard as he could. A massive fireball erupted from the globe at its end and rushed through the air, hitting the one on the left. He tried to shield himself with his shoulder, but the supernatural flame was much too strong for that. The blazing sphere collided and knocked him back against the wall, creating an outline of his body, shadowed in scorch marks.

The other Gemini Man, stunned, turned back to Link, and stared directly at a blast of ice particles zooming towards him. The shards of frost penetrated his face, freezing it, and knocking him to the floor. Gemini Man grasped his frozen face, preventing him from speaking.

"What technology is this!" the burnt one said, struggling to stand up.

"This isn't technology," he said as he sprang on top of the computer console and crossed his rods in front of him. "It's magic!"

He fired a dual blast from each of his rods. A fireball and an ice blast for each of them, and each collided with full impact. The ice blast crashed into the arm of the Gemini Man on the right as he held it up in front to shield his face. The laser cannon on his arm shattered and broke off. The other received a flaming comet, knocking him head over feet. Half his face was blackened beyond recognition and part of his fleshy skin melted off, revealing the metal interior.

The disruption Link had provided gave Mega Man enough time to recover and come back to Link's side. The Hylian jumped off the console, flourishing his weapons. As Gemini Man recovered and stood up, Mega Man whispered into Link's ear. The robot masters, furious with anger and indignance at being bested by a human, glowered at the two.

"Death!" they yelled, and leapt over consoles as hurdles, charging the two of them.

Link, with Mega Man still in his ear, looked up to the ceiling and a smile spread over his face. The Gemini brothers halted in the middle of their charge, skidding to a stop, and looked up at the ceiling as well.

In the dome skylight, they could see Roll outside the station, looking down at them. She waved.

The robot masters' eyes widened and their jaws dropped as they saw her bring her arm back and plunge it into the center of the window.

Shards of glass fell upwards into the blackness. Air formed into white gas that rushed into the newly made hole.

"HULL BREACH. HULL BREACH," the computer announced. "COMPENSATING PRESSURE. RESTORING OXYGEN. FORCEFIELDS ON MANUAL OVERRIDE."

The four in the command deck squinted their eyes from the tearing air threatening to lift them up like a cyclone, but the artificial gravity in the station kept them down. Link's eyes were beginning to water.

"What was that for!" Gemini Man said, unabated, his feet firmly planted on the floor. They were becoming used to the wind and looked straight at Mega Man. "Trying to kill your human friend?"

Mega Man said nothing. Instead, his color changed from blue to purple armor over white. Gemini Man's head snapped back in surprise. Mega Man looked at Link who was clutching onto something on the ground. "Ready!" he shouted above the pandemonium.

Mega Man fired his arm cannon out at the twins. But nothing happened. Except for a flash of yellow light that swiped the room. Then the Gravity Hold took effect. Any loose items, pens, papers, small tools, coffee mugs, headphones, wires, floated off, up through the breach and into space.

Gemini Man realized that their feet were levitating off the ground. By then it was too late, the Gravity Hold had taken effect and they were ineffectually flailing their arms, trying to restabilize. Their inertia got the best of them and they floated up, up, up, heading right for the ceiling. Like a vacuum cleaner the jagged hole in the skylight sucked them up and spit them out into the depths of space. Roll waved them goodbye from her position on the hull. They tumbled end over end in the aether, flying up and up voicelessly.

Link watched them float away and wink out like stars. "I guess Gemini Man lived up to his name," he said.

Roll crawled over the glass skylight, grabbed the edges of the cavity, and flipped herself back into the command deck. The effects of the Gravity Hold had worn off, and she dropped down to the floor.

"Computer," she spoke, "Reestablish forcefields, code 2529."

"Forcefield override removed. Forcefields activated."

A transparent yellow sheet spread over the hole in the ceiling, form-fitting it exactly. The air stopped rushing, conditions were returning to normal.

"That was the last one?" Link said.

"Yeah, but its still not over," Mega Man said, "You heard him, he got the inverser. He has the three things he needs. We've failed. We didn't get there fast enough. We wasted too much time. We failed. He's going to put a human brain inside a robot. He'll be able to create a true, thinking robot. He'll be unstoppable. If we only knew where he was..."

"We know where he is!" Roll exclaimed. "Antarctica!"

"They checked there. They didn't find anything. They scanned it with a fine toothed comb."

"But the robots, the base, don't tell me he's not there," Roll demanded.

"They've done scan after scan. They haven't revealed the location of his castle at all."

"What if its underground?"

"They would have detected it with seismic graphs."

Link piped up, "What if it was invisible?"

Roll and Mega Man turned their attention to him. "I mean, he did the same with that version of you he created. Why couldn't he make it one of those holograph things."

Mega Man thought for a second. Then turned to Roll. "Roll, what were the coordinates you found?"

"Twenty-three degrees forty-three minutes south, eleven degrees three minutes west."

Mega Man entered that data into a program in the console, as well as multiple other commands. He brought up a picture of the aforementioned coordinates, with the caption 'sat cam'. The photo revealed nothing but empty snow.

"Hmm..." Mega Man mumbled. He typed in more commands.

A side picture showed the rotating globe, shifting on its end to show the South Pole. Strange structures were positioned around it. Mega Man finally pressed the large enter button and looked out into the stars.

The satellite in the far corner of the window was rotating on an axis. Two wings made of square flat panels gleamed as light was reflected off. Another satellite, farther away also yawed to a different position. On the computer screen those strange floating structures were moving, displaying data in constantly changing numbers, either increasing or decreasing. Finally the satellite ahead of them stopped and a concentrated beam of light flew to the other satellite. That beam reflected off and disappeared around the bright blue light of the Earth.

On the computer it showed the sunlight traveling around the circumference of the planet, zipping from satellite to satellite until it finally reached the one hovering over Antarctica, where it directed the glow straight down like a drill.

On the live satellite feed of the location, the white suddenly became brighter, like daylight. Then a giant castle faded into the foreground like magic. A mixture of strange looking colorful towers, antennas, and fortifications were distributed around the perimeter, looking like it was made by a deranged mind too obsessed with robots. At the core of these bizarre defenses was a giant skull, staring blankly into the monitor with its empty eyes.

"There it is," Roll said. "Skull Castle. Right where I said."

Link and Mega Man looked over her shoulder at the large, intimidating structure.

"Let NASA/DSMA know, get the tether ready, get us a transport," Mega Man said. "We're going back... for the final battle!"

**Next Chapter: Skull Castle**


	26. Chapter 58: Skull Castle

_Chapter 58: Skull Castle_

Stinging bits of ice torn up from the landscape bit Link in the face. The snow speeder was doing a good job of propelling them through the icy desert, but Link was the only one suffering through this bumpy ride. Robots didn't feel anything, so they probably weren't experiencing this. No thermal shield this time either, but he didn't really need one. They had provided him with a very warm parka, colored in light blue with furry trim around the hood, and big goggles that made everything seem orange. Plus he was sandwiched in between Mega Man and Roll, with the male driving through the light storm.

The speeder took a sharp bump over a snow drift, hurting Link's posterior. No one had said anything so far, not just because of the incommunicable wind, but they were so focused on their task, it was the only thing in their minds. There was only one thing to do now, only one thing they could do: stop Wily.

Mega Man took the speeder up an incline of snow, and stopped it at the crest of the hill, skidding it to the side, so they all could look down into the valley, and the accompanying structure.

"There it is," he said, "Skull Castle."

Link pulled off his orange-tinted eyemask to take a look. It was much grander in person, like the castles of his world. But strangely twisted so it would fit here, full of technology and machinery. Large spires with satellites, blocky, smooth architecture, comprised of metal instead of brick. The colors and patterns resembled something a madman would make - vivid, unconventional, untrackable, insane. And a giant deadly skull comprised the foundation of the citadel. "It's not invisible anymore," Link asked. There was no beam of sunlight projecting onto the fortress anymore. "I thought only sunlight revealed hologram."

"He probably turned it off," Roll said.

"It doesn't need to be anymore," Mega Man added, "He's been found, there's no point for him to maintain the cloak."

He revved the engine, and Link replaced his goggles. With a quick turn of the handlebars the robot dropped the speeder off the peak of the hill and they zoomed swiftly down the slope.

"How do we get in?" Link shouted above the engine roar.

Mega Man responded, "Various ways. Sometimes there's an access port, or a sewer pipe, or underground."

Guard robots were starting to come out of the woodwork, vaguely humanoid soldiers carrying laser guns. The three of them made short work of the minor enemies. Mega Man held onto the handlebar with one hand and shot with the other, Roll fired her guns, and Link pulled out his ice rod.

"Chill," he said to one approaching guard and fired an icy blast. The surrounding cold intensified the gust and froze the robot through to its core, coating it in a pallid frost.

Once the surrounding robots were eliminated, they sped up to the front of the castle. The skull now loomed over them too large to be seen in one eyeful. In front of them stood what looked like a doorway, shaped as a large arc, and made completely of smooth, pure metal. Mega Man ran his hand along the partition, and it was solid as a rock. "It looks like a doorway. But there's no keypad, no access card, no retinal scanner, not even a doorknob."

"This was meant to keep people out," Link said, "Not let them in."

"Then we go around?" Roll asked.

Mega Man knocked on the door, resulting in filled metal sound. "Maybe not. Link, how hot does that fire thing get?"

"Hot," Link smiled.

"Can you fire a concentrated stream at the edge of the door?"

Link flipped the already produced fire rod in his hand and shot a continuous fiery blast at the doorway. Lava-like material streamed out from the red globe, like a geyser of water. Link aimed it at the bottom of the door, and slowly traced the outside edge. Where the volcanic fire had been, the metal was left glowing red. When he was finished, the entire doorway was trimmed with ruby, the surrounding snow melting into water.

"Okay, now do the same thing with the ice rod," Mega Man commanded.

Link smiled and did so, delighted his magic was working usefully. He fired a steady stream of blistering hoarfrost out of the diamond pendant, overwriting the extreme heat he had just developed. You only needed to have a basic understanding of metal-smithing to know what he was doing. The heat expanded the metal, making it malleable, and exposure to the extreme cold would destabilize the structure, making it brittle.

When he was done, Mega Man approached the door. "Kiai!" he yelled as he thrust his big boot at the door. The frail doorway broke apart at the rim, cracking straight through, and fell down with a thud inside the dark castle. The three of them entered. The furnace like heat billowing out from the fortress forced Link to shed his parka and goggles.

When Mega Man had called it a castle, Link had expected a castle, and on the outside, that was what it looked like, albeit twisted to this world's quirks. In the front entrance, he was expecting what all castles had - a large receiving hallway, meant to impress and humble visitors to the kingdom. Sometimes they were plaqued with trophies and mementos of past conquests or tapestries of the royal bloodline.

This was a horror.

There was darkness all around him, nothing ahead. But when he looked up, he saw it. The factories and machine plants he had seen so far were busy, but organized and well kept. This was chaos. Robots were everywhere and working like insects, serving their specific task only. Flying robots zipped from one end to the other, spider robots crawled along posts, click-clacking their little legs, searching around. Pincer robots picked up objects and moved them from one conveyer belt to the other. Robots attached to zip lines moved back and forth unendingly, carrying parts and objects from one end of the factory to the other. Helicopter robots zipped around manufactured objects, welding and fusing sections together. Robots grabbed parts and did nothing else but hold them while other activities buzzed around. Robots with nothing but heads, robots with shields, robots with arms, robots with legs, disjointed body parts who only did only what their part let them do. Hundreds and hundreds of robots all working.

They droned around every possible factory implement there was. Gears, tubes, plugs, wires, girders, beams, pipes, hooks, gauges, levers, cranes, coils, cogs, sprockets, wheels. There was motion everywhere. Sparks flew off the welders. Tarred smokestacks puffed vile ashen pollution into the towers of the castle from the darkness. The thrumming sound of motors and the crackle and screeching of metal works was almost too much to bear. It was like someone's techno nightmare.

"They're everywhere!" Link said, holding his hands to his ears to dampen the sound. "We can't take them all on."

"They won't fight," Mega Man shouted over the horrible ruckus. "They're not meant to. They're meant for building. That's all their programs will allow. They won't fight us." He stepped further into the citadel. "Wily's castle is like a giant robot factory. That's all it's meant for, that's all that's in it. Just building enough robots to take over the world. Robots that build robots. He's the only human who lives here and he's usually hiding out in some obscure corner of the fortress."

"What's the way through?" Roll asked.

Mega Man scanned the area. He found a ladder far out of reach at the other end of the tower, hanging from another unseen floor, and pointed to it. They ran under the terrorful beehive of disorder and headed for the ladder. Mega Man leapt in the air and caught it by the bottom rung. Link skidded to a stop just as Roll leapt over him and followed under her brother.

"Wait," she called out as she ascended, "Link can't jump that! We have to help him."

"He's fine," her brother said, still climbing.

Concern spread across Roll's face, and she stopped to look back down. Link had pulled out a device that looked like a wooden arm cannon and aimed it up at the ladder. The grappling hook shot out and cleanly latched onto the ladder's rungs. With the release, Link zipped up to the ladder and caught it, climbing immediately. Roll shrugged at her brother's justified indifference and continued up. Apparently, he was right in believing Link was a capable battler.

And capable he was. Mega Man often had to take indirect routes, traveling up and down dangerous passageways lined with hazards and robots galore, trying to reach Wily without having to withstand an onslaught of robots and taking the slow way. With the three of them, they mopped up the floor with Wily's haphazard army. Mega Man provided fire at the front lines, blasting his arm cannon at incoming robots. Roll kept watch at the back, using her deadly accuracy to fire her twin pistols. It took a few more shots to bring down a robot then her brother, but the double firepower helped out. Her targeting scanner could see incoming robots in the darkness before her brother could. They both kept Link in the middle to protect his fleshy armor. Which was fine with him. He helped out with his magic implements, touting his ice rod and fire rod. The magic had returned to his boomerang as well, and he was able to stun enemies like he was supposed to, giving the two robots more than enough time to blast them to vapor. The icy blasts could freeze robots in their tracks, or drop fliers to the floor. And the scorching heat could crispify exposed wires or components. With his friends' protection, he didn't even need his absent shield, which would have been useless anyway. He finally felt like he was equal.

They traveled up and down spiked passageways, dangerous pits, and robot enemies, heading right for the center and up, past level one, level two, level three, level four, level five. Wily's forces flew at full intensity, but the combined effort of them all wiped out any resistance. They headed steadily up, climbing many ladders, crossing over platforms, and twisting through towers. Finally, they arrived at the legendary door. The door they all knew. The sectioned metal gate.

"We're going in?" Roll said.

"You bet!" Link and Mega Man said. It was the only way to get to Dr. Wily. As they approached, the door slid up, offering them access. Once in, the way was shut, and they had no choice but to brace themselves for whatever could come, and move forward through the darkened corridor.

"Is everyone ready?" Mega Man asked.

Link gripped the scepters in his hand, holding onto them tight.

Roll cleaned off her visor and brought out both of her laser pistols. "We're ready."

Mega Man stepped forward and the gate rose up in chunks. They proceeded through.

The room they were now in was shaped in a wide cylinder, like a carousel, trimmed with copper moulding on the ceiling and floor. The walls were made of some sort of smooth dark blue-green material. In the middle, there was a giant tower-like hub, but it didn't fit with the rest of the surroundings. It looked like a gigantic copper coil around a green pillar spoked out with panels and buttons and lights.

"You recognize that?" Mega Man said with delight in his voice.

"It's the conduit coil!" Roll said. "Wily's got to be around here."

"Destroy it!" Link said.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Mega Man pulled out his arm cannon and fired.

In an instant, a glass case shot up around the pillar, encapsulating it. The plasma burst bounced harmlessly off the exterior.

"Litanium glass!" Mega Man said incredulously.

"Wily knows we're here," Roll said.

At that moment, confirming Roll's guess, a floating platform high above appeared behind the conduit. They could see the two smooth metal disks lined with purple providing the necessary magnetic lift to keep it aloft. Over the edge peeked the face of the copy of Mega Man, Wily's clone, down to every exact detail.

"Stand down!" Mega Man shouted at him, aiming his arm cannon.

The clone responded with a charged blast of energy. The three of them jumped away as the blast exploded around them. Mega Man and Roll returned fire. The Mega Man clone steered his platform so it shielded him from the assault. He rained down plasma blasts on the two. Mega Man and Roll scattered around, making themselves scarce. But the clone was paying no attention to Link. Good for him.

Link pulled out his magic boomerang while attention was focused elsewhere. He hurled it as hard as it could, spinning around and around and around. Without looking, the Mega Man clone caught it in mid-air just inches from his head, his eyes still focused below. With a sickening crunch he crushed it with his fingers. Link's eyes widened.

Roll, meanwhile, was scanning the area for weaknesses. Several different visual acuities flashed across her visor, pointing out different characteristics. Nothing was catching her attention as a vulnerability. "This isn't working," she said to her brother.

"Well, when one weapon doesn't work..." His color wiped to red and gray. "Try another." Mega Man shot his magnet missile in the air. It homed in, drawn in by the magnetic hoverpads, and exploded. The platform tremored from the detonation, rocking to one side. Mega Man fired more and more missiles. He didn't even need to aim them, the magnetic forces drew them in and blasted the platform. The Mega Man clone swayed back and forth from the blasts, until his vehicle couldn't take anymore, soared down into the floor and crashed. Yellow sparks spouted outward. The clone jumped off before the crash landing but found himself surrounded by three heroes pointing their weapons at him.

"You're through doing Wily's dirty work," the real Mega Man said.

The clone looked around, then glowed blue for an instant and transformed into a shooting comet that rocketed up through the ceiling.

"He teleported!" Roll exclaimed.

"To the floor above," Mega Man said. He looked to his human friend, "Sorry, Link, time is of the essence."

"Oh, sure-" Auras enveloped the two robots as they looked skyward, and they soared up though the ceiling in the same manner, before Link could finish his sentence. "No problem... not."

Link put his rods back in his bag, left alone in this auditorium. To have come so far, fought so hard, just to be left behind at this crucial climax? He didn't think so. He understood why Mega Man and Roll did what they did. Their enemy went someplace where he could not follow. At least not as quick. And that stupid robot wouldn't even acknowledge he was there, he focused all his attention on the two and didn't pay the human a passing glance, only to break his boomerang. Well, he sure wasn't just going to sit here and wait for Mega Man to come get him after it was all over. He wanted to see Wily's face person-to-person. He wanted to see the man who caused so much strife in this world. Link already had someone like Wily in his world, who always kept coming back, who had infinite power and delusions of supremacy. He was gonna make sure it didn't happen in another.

He ran his hand along the smooth obsidian that walled the room. It was a perfect curved loop. Nothing was around it, nothing could penetrate it. There wasn't even a light switch anywhere. The copper moulding wasn't moving either, it wouldn't even be pried off. Link made three trips around the room before he gave up on finding anything around the perimeter.

He crossed his arms and stared at the center of the room, looking up and down the conduit coil shrouded in the glass case. This was that giant pillar that Wily had taken in the first place. It probably stretched several floors up or down and was obviously an essential part of his experiment. Therefore, Wily would be very interested in keeping this room accessible. Thus there had to be some way out of here. Assuming the roboticist wouldn't take the toll of teleporting in here, something that would probably wreak havoc on an old man, he would have put in some way in and out. Not via the gate, that wouldn't give access to the pillar. He needed to be able to operate the pillar so it would do what he wanted it to do. No doubt he needed all the panels and lights on it configured in such a way to allow whatever was going to happen happen. And since it was so big, he would have some way up and down its massive length, like perhaps an elevator. Of course, Link hadn't seen any of the like on their way here, so it had to be hidden somewhere. It had to allow travel through the length of the coil without letting others in. So it had to be locked. But they didn't use locks with keys here. They used... those things... oh, what were they called again? Passwords?

Of course. A lock involving the Computer. How else would a scientist lock something?

"Computer?" Link said. "I'm going to unlock the door with the password."

"Please input correct password."

"Uh..." Oh, what were those ones Mega Man said in the desert? Those ones he said were common. Link tried to make himself remember. He started mumbling to himself, hitting his brain, "Come on, password, password..."

"'Password' is the correct password. Access granted."

A section of the glass litanium opened up before him, big enough for a doorway. A section of the conduit coil lifted out, rolled off of its surface, and inclined down until it touched the floor, like a tongue lolling out of a mouth.

"Well, that works," Link mused. He stepped onto the ramp and entered into the conduit elevator. The door closed back up, shrouding him in the blackest darkness. He hadn't realized this was hollow, although he supposed it needed to be this big in order for people to perform maintenance on the inside. It sure wasn't for comfort, as he was afraid to put out any extremities for fear of them being shredded off. In fact, he wasn't quite sure he was moving. The deep humming thrumming of the coil dampened any noise he might hear from the lift taking him up. He could feel vibration under the soles of his boots, but that also could have been from the low frequencies. The only indication was that light was somehow scrolling down in pinprick holes and seams around the column. Also the air around him felt like it was moving, but that could have been ventilation fans. He kept his arms and fingers tucked in.

If he was moving, he could feel himself slowing down. Perhaps he was reaching the top. The light seams in front of him faded, and the majority of the humming was now down below him. His ears were popping from the pressure, as if he were in the mountains. He must have been quite high. A hole in the ceiling opened up and the lift pushed him on the roof of the coil, on a flat surface. The outside air hit him like a refreshing splash of water. But it was still pretty dark. He turned around and saw Mega Man pointing his arm cannon squarely at Link. He knew this wasn't his Mega Man, but Wily's clone. It was not by the fact that he saw Roll holding her real brother supine in the background of the platform they were on, nor by the surprised look on either of their faces. But it was the cold murderous look the Mega Man in front of him had in his eyes.

Wily's Mega Man fired his arm cannon into Link's chest.

Link saw the plasma blast rip through him before he felt it. It tore through his flesh like a hot rock through snow, coming out his back, leaving a gaping hole where the shot went through. Time slowed down. Link stupidly dropped his head to marvel at the fresh puncture in the middle of his torso, cauterized from the super-hot plasma, swallowed. Then the world faded to black.

Link's eyes glazed over, and fell back up into his head. His knees buckled out from under him, with no more strength to stand. They collapsed on the metal grating and the body flopped over on its side.

**Next Chapter: Final Boss**


	27. Chapter 59: Final Boss

_Chapter 59: Final Boss_

"NOOOOO!" Mega Man outstretched his hand down to his fingers, helplessly lying on his back, with Roll on her knees tending to him. He tried to launch himself at the murderous robot, but she held him back, preventing him from a suicidal attack based on blind anger. He struggled against her grip, but the huge blast he'd just received had temporarily delayed his motor reflexes.

Link laid there, face down, pressed against the metal grating of the floor on the roof of Wily's castle. The clone stayed there for ten seconds, glaring down at the fallen body coldly. Then he turned around with unhurried malice back to his doppelganger and a chilling smile crept over his face. Roll and Mega Man looked up at him, eyes wide and watery with horror. The light in the rear cloaked him in dark light.

He vaulted into the air, jumping onto another platform yards away. Then like a leap frog he continued on, moving up the stepping stairs that circled around the garret to higher elevations. He was obviously tempting Mega Man to follow him, to exorcise the rage and achieve the vengeance he had just instilled.

Mega Man freed himself from the floor and Roll's hold. His sister let him up.

"You coward!" Mega Man called after him, holding out his arm cannon. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" Red hot anger burned in his eyes. In the same manner, Mega Man leapt after him, jumping from scaffold to scaffold in the same route.

Roll started after them, then halted in mid-step, and glanced back to Link's body. She clasped her hands in front of her chest, and stared at him, a sad, quizzical look on her face, like she didn't know how to react. There was so much she couldn't understand about human life, but the ability to be full of life one minute and wink out the next was something beyond her comprehension. Between the fighting and the escape and everything that had happened, her sympathetic nerve was raw. Her artificial emotions forced her to pay her respects, albeit briefly. Her logic programming told her to run after her brother and win this fight, for there was nothing she could do now.

Mega Man had cornered his clone to the edge of the dark platform, and engaged in a firefight. Plasma shots were traded back and forth, but Mega Man couldn't seem to get a shot to connect. The clone could dodge and weave anything Mega Man put in his path. He shot with the ferocity of having lost his friend to this beast, but he couldn't make a single hit count. He wasn't blinded by his fury like a human would be, it only made him more determined. Still nothing was working. This robot was pure hardware, a war machine, able to anticipate his every move and counter it. He always thought his advantage was his humanity, the ability to think a little better than Wily's robots. But this type of cold, battle A.I. was driving him to the limits. Wily had always made robots superior to him in hardware. Did he finally make one superior in all aspects?

The Mega Man clone charged up a Mega Buster shot and fired. Mega Man barely dodged, lost his center of gravity, and fell on the cold metal. This gave the opportunity to pelt him with short shots, draining his energy. Mega Man quickly got up on his feet and returned fire. His plasma shots were too slow, and he didn't have the advantage of charged power. He did however, have one thing his foe didn't.

Mega Man switched from plasma cannon to gravity hold, his blue exterior switching to white and purple. Without hesitating, he activated it. A flash of light surrounded the arena, but the robot showed no effects. His feet stayed permanently on the ground. This did not worry Mega Man, some robots were immune to the physical effects, but their internal systems would still suffer damage. He tried again, jumping over the continuous plasma shots he was being attacked with. Again, no effect. The robot didn't even flash with electrical discharge as robots do when hurt. He didn't recoil, he didn't even blink.

Frustrated, Mega Man tapped his reserves of weapon energy, funneling everything he had into a single shot, draining his tank. When he fired, he felt the air around him shift, cringing as the gravity effect shockwave erupted around him. He felt like he was buffeted by air cushions. But still the clone was unfazed.

Mega Man switched to magnet missile, and himself to red and gray. The missiles shot out two at a time from his arm cannon, flying up into the air, about half the distance between the two, and skyrocketed down at him. They exploded with pressing force, compelling the Mega Man clone to step back. Now he flashed with electrical damage.

The clone shrugged off the hit, and Mega Man fired volley after volley of missiles. The magnetic beacon installed in the software honed in every time, even as the robot thrashed his arms to deflect the splash damage. Mega Man paid no attention to his weapon energy, he was too focused on hurting this abominable copycat. With teeth gritted he held out his arm cannon and shot his final missile. He only noticed the reserve was drained when he fired and nothing came out. A quick check confirmed it, he was out of juice and his enemy had more than enough to spare.

Seeing no more missiles were coming his way, the Mega Man clone brought his hands from his eyes and unleashed the power he had stored inside his weapon full force. In the instant Mega Man had checked his weapons for anything else, and found nothing, the energy ball collided with him and tossed him back like a rag doll. He ended upturned on the grating, weak and gasping for power. Still on his back, he turned over, leaning on his hands and panting for air. The clone held his arm cannon across his chest and walked up to Mega Man.

"Haven't you got anything left?" it said in a low register.

Mega Man's eyebrows slanted sadly over his eyes, desperation on his face.

* * *

Link lied prone on the raised stage. Wisps of smoke emitted from the burnt flesh around the cavity in his torso. His face was smashed against the grating, and his eyes were shut, as if he collapsed from unconsciousness, sparing him the dead man's gaze. The warmth of life still lingered around him, but it was slipping fast.

Link's knapsack, still attached around his belt, suddenly twitched. Then it twitched again. And a lump protruded out from the center. Like a mouse, it shifted left to right, as if budging around the contents inside, heading towards the sack's open end. When it reached the opening rim, two tiny hands lifted up the heavy cow leather hide flap, flipping it open. The curtain exposed a tiny young woman with red hair, and a small purple dress which allowed two dragonfly wings to jut out of her back. An aura of pink light surrounded her.

She looked around, and saw the giant body of Link, a slab of meat on the floor. Her wings flapped once and she was aloft. Silently, the tiny form hovered over the length of his corpse, as if she was inspecting it. Then she drifted over his torso and took out a small wand. With a flourish she sharply rapped it twice over him, sprinkling sparkling powder. The powder fluttered over Link's body and diffused away. Then, her job done, she flew away up into the darkness and disappeared from sight.

The cavity in Link's chest started to slowly taper down, becoming filled with what should have been there - his bones, skin, organs, even his clothes were reforming. The wound was draining away like it was bathwater, vaporizing back out of existence. It closed up around the center, leaving Link's body whole again.

The Hylian's shut eyelids fluttered. Then opened. Link's first sight was that of darkness. Then he tried to remember what happened. A strange sensation was in his chest, and his face was in pain, because it was pressed against a metal grate.

Link extracted his face from the floor, pushing himself up on his hands, and wiped the drool from his mouth. There was a tightness in his upper body he couldn't identify, but it was fading away to normalcy with each second that passed.

"Wha... what happened?" he muttered and rubbed his head.

"And here I was thinking, that was a wound not even magic could fix."

Link turned around to the voice and saw Protoman standing there, with his arms behind his back, leaning on a nearly invisible black pylon. That same stupid smirk on his face. Link was still groggy and unsteady and seeing him evoked no questions as to his presence now.

"Did you save me?" Link asked.

"Apparently, I didn't need to. You have friends in tiny places."

Link's eyes furrowed at this statement. A hint came to his mind and he burrowed around in his holding bag. The glass bottle came to his fingers and he pulled it out. It was empty and the cork removed.

"My fairy..." Link whispered. "I forgot I even had her." He put the bottle back in his bag and sighed with relief.

"You put her in there?" Protoman said. "Thank god she didn't suffocate."

"They're magic creatures. I always bring one with for their curative powers. And they're always watching me, to make sure I'm all right." Link stood up on his stiff feet, strength returning to him. His brain fully realized Protoman was standing in front of him. "Are you here to help us?" he asked hopefully.

Protoman shook his head. "Hardly. I told you. I don't get involved. I stay in the background and watch. All I do is lend a hand once in a while if he needs it. And if I feel like it. Mega Man has to prove himself before I'll help him."

"Prove himself?" Link questioned. "Prove himself!" Link asked with a little more audacity. The first question was meant as a request for clarity, the second meant as indignant explanation. "What in the world does Mega Man have to do to prove himself? Haven't you watched him enough? Don't you know what he does? Just in the time I've been here, he's proven himself a thousand times over to me. I can't imagine what he's done before."

"All under one's instructions. Dr. Light still pulls his strings. It may be just a general order - 'protect the world'. But it's still an order he has to fulfill. If he wants me to partake in his life-threatening acts, he has to show me he's as strong as someone who doesn't take orders."

"Meaning you?" Link asked from the tops of his eyes.

Protoman looked up and away, his eyes staring into the space under his visor. "I have to see if he's weaker or stronger than me. It's been a question plaguing me since the beginning. I don't understand it yet, but I have to know." He turned back to Link. "You, on the other hand. I know where you stand. I know where most humans stand, but you're definitely different." He pulled himself off his leaning post and took his arm out from behind his back. "Here."

He tossed over a large disc object that Link caught in the air. It was his shield, a replacement, right down to the last minute detail.

"Took an interest in your shield. Made you a new one that might be a little better suited to the enemies you'd be facing here. Pure litanium, just like mine. It'll reflect anything."

Link held the shield in front of him. It was just like his original shield, every symbol, every mark. Lined with sharp silver metal, on top of which was a blue background and yellow designs of the royal insignia. "It looks just like mine," Link said astonishedly.

"It is just like yours. Robot memory's an amazing thing."

"I can't believe you did this," Link said happily.

"I've always thought the best offense is a good defense." He shifted his weight back up straight. "Don't say I never did nothing for you."

A red glow surrounded him, obscuring his figure, and he vanished up into the air. Link yelled out a heartfelt "Thank you!" unaware if he was ever heard.

* * *

Mega Man's only recourse was to keep jumping around. It was only prolonging the inevitable. No power remained for any of his two acquired weapons. His energy generator was going critical, it had taken too much damage. He could feel it leaking out the seams of his armor. This clone was simply too much to fight. Wily had taken everything he was and improved upon it. It was the ultimate Mega Man killer. It wasn't meant to replace him, it was meant to destroy him.

Roll had stayed at the edge of the arena, pelting him with shots from her laser pistols as she could, but she might as well have been firing mosquitoes for all the good it was doing. The Mega Man clone was ignoring her as if she wasn't there. And when he was finished with her brother, she would be next.

Mega Man jumped to the side, as a double-charged shot went by, nicking him under the arm. His movements were getting slower and slower, not so that a human would notice, but a robot would. That clone's evil smile was still on him. He stood in the center of the circle, taking potshots at Mega Man, laughing inside as he danced around amusingly.

Mega Man dropped to one knee as he landed, too weak to stand on both feet, and held his chest. "Please... stop," he whispered. Having run out of options, he had resorted to his last-ditch effort - begging.

The clone zipped up to his counterpart and grabbed him by the breastplate, holding him aloft. "There is no mercy for you," the clone said robotically. He outstretched his arm cannon, charging it to maximum. "Die."

A sound from behind. "You first!"

A gleam of metal, accompanied by an iron shink sounded in the night behind the Mega Man clone. Mega Man looked down and saw a huge gleaming metal spike projecting from his chest. The clone stared down at the skewer with indifferent anger, his battle face still on. He tossed Mega Man back to the floor and whipped around.

"Whoa," Link said as he staggered forward. That sword was stuck in there hard, and when the robot spun he was either going to be thrown with the sword or he could let it go. He chose the latter.

The clone stared at Link in the face, with the same angry, murderous gaze, his lip curling in a sneer. He grabbed the sword from the blade side and pulled it through the rest of his torso defiantly, tearing up more of his body by ramming the hilt through, and threw it at his feet. He lifted his arm cannon again and fired.

Link grabbed the shield off his back and held it by one of the leather straps just as he shot. The plasma blast reflected off the shield with a -tink- and flew away. The clone fired several more shots, as Link slipped his arm fully in the straps and crouched down, hiding his entire body within the shield. The clone never saw him dip into his bag and pull out the ice rod.

At the first gap in the stream of shots, Link peeked out from behind the shield, and poured out a jet stream of ice at the robot's foot. Concentrated ice melded the metal of the boot to the floor. When the clone tried to break free, and couldn't, and looked down at it. Link used the minuscule opportunity to shoot again at his arm cannon, freezing it in place. The Mega Man clone tried to keep it out of the ice's path, but the moving servos were slowed down by the cold and Link kept his stream on it. With his arm and leg totally frozen in place, all he could do was stare hard at Link grimacing fiercely.

Link returned the defiant gaze as he picked up his sword off the floor.

"You like death so much, have some!" He wound his sword back behind him and charged up a huge spinning slash. With a fierce cry, he swung the sword, a light trail followed the blade as it swiped cleanly through the neck of the evil robot. Link spun completely and returned to his stance.

The clone's evil expression froze. The hum of his charged blaster slowly faded away, something never heard before, as weapon energy never lost its hum unless the power flow had been interrupted. The clone's sinister smile dropped. The corners of his mouth plummeted into a grotesque surprised frown.

His head fell off his neck and clunkily rolled on the ground like a football. Yellow sparks burst out of the neck opening. Frayed wires and rotors, thinking there was a head still attached, frantically skipped around like a wind-up toy knocked over on its side. With a kick, Link pushed the robot over and it clanged to the ground in a hollow echo.

"Link!" Mega Man said.

"You're alive!" Roll exclaimed. "H-how?"

"A little magic fairy dust."

Mega Man smacked his forehead. A slow laugh spread across his lips, slowly evolving into a full belly laugh. Roll looked on in bemused confusion.

"What?" she said.

Mega Man got up from the floor and hugged Link across the shoulders. Link gulped for breath in the metal arms of a robot hug.

"I'll explain later," he squeaked out to Roll.

Mega Man, still wrapped around Link, opened his eyes, and found his arms were clasped around his shield. "Whoa, you got your shield back?" He released the hug and looked at him. "Did the fairy do that too?"

"Uh, no, not quite. That's a long story."

Mega Man looked at him quizzically, but let it go. There would be time enough for questions later. Hopefully.

"I know I never asked, but where are we?" Roll said, joining the happy couple. She looked up into the pitch blackness. It seemed they were the only ones lit in this dark abyss.

"Probably somewhere on the top of the fortress," Mega Man said.

"Yeah, I can feel the air, but it's warm," Link agreed.

"Climate controlled probably. I don't know why the conduit led up here though. It would mean..."

A ringing sound of a spotlight being switched on resounded in the chamber. A tiny pinprick of light could be seen far away. They couldn't really make out who it was. But there was only one person it could be.

An echoing loudspeaker switched on. "Come into my parlor... said the spider to the fly. Heh heh heh," the distant voice of Wily spoke.

The three of them started walking towards the light. No robots came out to meet them. No other guards. It was just them and him. The final showdown.

Dr. Wily was sitting in a chair. His arms were locked to the armrest by metal cuffs. There was some sort of helmet fastened onto his head, matting his white hair down around his ears. A pipe attached to the helm, leading back up somewhere beyond the darkness. It looked as if he was strapped to an old-fashioned electric chair. He sat as still as a mannequin, only moving his eyes.

"Nice to see you again, Rock," his voice boomed. "I always try and make your stay in my fortress a pleasant one. Kudos to you on using the satellites to reveal the invisibility cloak. As well as defeating my light shields. Bravo, indeed. Your problem-solving programming just gets more and more innovative."

The three continued heading straight to the light, unimpeded by his taunts.

"And Roll," he said with sadistic joviality. "I haven't seen you in ages. You've changed quite a bit from the housemaid who used to vacuum near my workstation, haven't you? It looks like Dr. Light's given you the same treatment as your brother. Do they call you Mega Woman now?"

Roll said nothing, grim determination overshadowing her face as she walked on.

"And wherever did you find your remarkable human friend. I found it hard to believe when I saw this pointy-eared boy speak to me so impudently, that he would actually be capable of defeating any of my creations, let alone a robot master. He even found a way to triumph over my remote-controlled Rock. With nothing more than a sword and a shield. Hmph. Such courage."

"That's my specialty," Link replied.

He realized as he got closer that Wily wasn't moving his mouth as he spoke. This was rather odd. Perhaps it had something to do with his chair, or that thing on his head. Mega Man and Roll were worried what that meant too, but prevented it from showing on their faces.

They were only a few feet from Wily now. Mega Man raised his arm cannon to him, and Roll gulped.

"Surrender, Wily," he said. "I'm taking you back to prison for the crimes you've committed."

Wily's speaker voice audibly heaved a tired elderly sigh. "We've been through this dance before, Mega Man." He slowly craned his head up, and progressively raised his wild eyes up to the ceiling behind him. The three of them, fearing what he was looking at, slowly raised their eyes up too.

Two glowing blue eyes lit up in the dark, 70 feet above the ground, and something huge and towering leaned forward in the dark over the three of them. Light reflected off its red and black armored breastplate. It raised its massive tree trunk of a leg and stepped down, next to Wily's chair. The ground shook like an earthquake as the foot connected, nearly causing all three of them to end up on the floor. It was nearly 70 feet tall.

"Let's change the tune," Wily said. The hulking mechanical form was built like a humanoid soldier-tank. Cannons protruded out of its shoulder, its wrists, its knees, and it wore some sort of Viking-like horned helmet, with a faceless visage that had no mouth, just a pair of brutal eyes.

"Look out!" Mega Man said.

"Holy goddesses. It's a giant robot!" Link exclaimed.

The colossal battlemech droid took another step forward, advancing on its enemies.

"That's right," Wily said, "I've done it." He laughed maniacally as the three of them realized what he was saying. "I've done it. I've done it! Selkirk's work is a reality. I've made the ultimate sentient life form. The body of a robot, with the decision-making abilities of a human. This truly is complete freedom. Now, not even you can stop me, Mega Man."

"And you put yourself in a giant mechaniloid?" Mega Man yelled out over the thunderous movements.

"Why build a robot, when you can build a big robot?" he laughed. "Speaking of which..." The mecha raised its giant leg, and positioned it over the form of Dr. Wily. With a tremendous crash, he brought it down on the entire contraption.

Mega Man, Link, and Roll stared horrified at what Wily had just done. At first, Mega Man suspected this was another robot dupe. His doubts were trounced though, when he saw a puddle of red blood oozing out from under the sole.

"I certainly won't be needing this anymore," Wily said.

**Next Chapter: For Everlasting Peace**


	28. Chapter 60: For Everlasting Peace

_Chapter 60: For Everlasting Peace_

The giant mech flexed his arms downward, as if he was moving for the first time, stretching out his mammoth torso to emphasize his size. He hunched down to the three of them and red missile points protruded out of the shoulder mounted cannons.

"Look out!" Roll shouted.

Small air-to-ground missiles fired out with high-pitched whines, sailing up and down erratically with jet streams gusting out. Roll, Mega Man, and Link scattered around, as the rockets chased them. They exploded in mid-air and on the ground all around them. Link skidded along the ground to a stop, crumpled into a ball, and held his shield over him like a turtle. The two robots weaved and dodged the incoming fire. The darting projectiles swooped around like attacking birds. Roll took the initiative and started shooting at the swooping missiles. After two misses she hit one and it exploded harmlessly away from anyone. Mega Man got the idea and shot his cannon as well, pelting the area with minor explosions. Link's shell was protecting him from the shrapnel, and Mega Man ran over to him to protect further, acting as a sort of plasma cannon turret defense.

While her brother did that, Roll took the chance to activate her scanning visor. Green plastic poked out around the earpieces of her helmet and wrapped around her eyes. The neon lime grid immediately went to work, using x-rays, power emissions, and component breakdown to analyze the structural weak points and strong points of the gigantic beast they were fighting. Lines of data filtered into her visual cortex.

Mega Man took out the last missile, just before it was about to attack Link from the side. "Come on," he said to him, and scooted back to the middle. Link pulled off his shield and stood up, reorienting himself.

The tremendous robot brought up its boulder-like fist and slammed it down into the ground with all the fury of an earthquake. The impact drove out giant shockwave tremors, causing all three of them to lose their footing and land flat on their backs. They slowly started to stand back up, struggling against the loss of balance and perspective. Wily sent out a trio of large plasma balls out from the cannons set in his waist, one heading for each of them. Roll and Mega Man jumped out of the path, away from Link, too far to help him.

"Link!" Mega Man shouted.

The Hylian saw it coming, knew it was too late to avoid the impact. Instinctively, he rolled to the side, only managing to make it on his stomach before the plasma hit. Fortunately, the ball impacted the shield on his back and deflected off into the darkness. Link scrambled to his feet and held his defense at the ready, recognizing he was going to need it a lot more than he usually did.

Roll's internal computers finished the analysis and fed her the results. "Mega Man! The head! The head is the vulnerable point!" she shouted and pointed over the roar of the robot's engine and thrashing.

Mega Man looked up at the towering behemoth. Its head was like a bowl set on a coffee table to an ant. His shots would be so inaccurate, they would never hit. Nonetheless he tried firing anyway. A set of three plasma globs burst out of his arm cannon and flew up where they were absorbed undamagingly by the armor.

"I can't hit it!" Mega Man said, trying to backpedal. "It's too far. I can't get a line-to-sight. His body's in the way." He tried jumping up and firing, changing the angle. The plasma shots were closer, but the armored torso absorbed the brunt of the energy.

It stepped forward, advancing on the little mice at its feet. Two shoulder-turrets fired an alternating pelting of laser blasts like machine guns, the chambers resiling back each time. The three cut around and ducked the blasts. Link stayed stationary, holding his shield in front of him for protection. He hadn't done anything during this fight, and it frustrated him. No way would either his ice rod or fire rod make an impact on that sort of tank. It would be like one man trying to fight a castle. An actual, moving castle.

Mega Man bounded up and down like a leap frog, trying to catch the Wily-bot's head as it swooped around, but it never reached low enough to get a clean shot. It was too far up and too small for his tiny arm cannon. He needed more elevation if he was going to be able to take out the head.

Roll strafed left and right, firing alternate shots from her laser pistols. They were weaker than Rock's shots and having even less of an impact. She could see the puddles of light dissipating on the armor. And she couldn't hit the head either, its mammoth body was doing a good job of protecting it. She could see it, but the angle she was at wouldn't yield a clear shot unless she was yards away, and their only advantage right now was that they were so underfoot he couldn't fire shots down at them accurately.

The mecha switched to a more physical attack, pulled back its fist and took a giant swing with its blocky spiked arm, sweeping the floor. Mega Man and Roll jumped to avoid the swiping strike. Link rolled along at the floor, barely escaping the arm by pure luck as it lifted up from the arc of the swing.

This wasn't going to do at all. Link was a sitting duck, trying to avoid the crushing blows of the humanoid robot. And Mega Man was already weak from his fight before. Auto repair systems had fixed his mobility so he looked fine, but his generator had to be close to going critical. It couldn't take too many more of the shots Wily was delivering. She looked down at the twin pistols in her hands.

"Sorry, guys," she said to her guns. With fire in her eyes, she looked up at Wily's head, judging the distance and trajectory she needed.

"Rock!" she called out. She glanced at her brother, then back up at the head. "Get ready." She held up her guns.

Mega Man glanced back and forth between the guns and the head, realizing what she was going to do. He nodded once and took a huge jump back to get some distance, aiming his arm cannon. Desperate times called for desperate measures, including sacrifices. "Go!" he shouted.

With all her strength, Roll swung back her arms and threw both guns up into the air. They flew straight up at Wily's helmeted head, spinning end over end, and reached an apex just at its eye level.

Mega Man fired one shot with his cannon. The plasma globule zipped up straight and crashed into Roll's guns, causing one to blow up, followed in a chain reaction by the other. Fire swelled up like a bulbous balloon, erupting in a mighty explosion engulfing the mass of Wily's head and part of his upper body, shrouding it in fiery smoke.

The three of them held their hands above their head, sheltering from the falling embers of the blast spiraling down like tiny asteroids. A large creaking metal sound resonated as the mecha returned to an upright position and stopped moving. The echo of the explosion faded away, leaving eerie silence.

"Did it work?" Roll asked, staring up at the motionless robot. Her eyes darted back and forth, looking for a sign.

The giant head of Wily's robot suddenly hit the floor like a tossed rock behind them. Roll squeaked out in fright, whipping around and stumbling back a foot.

"Yep, it worked," Mega Man said, equally startled.

Smoke fluttered from the horns of its helmet, and prevalent damage marked its face. The eyes were empty gray now, and it looked like a ruin of a knight from ancient times that had eroded and fallen. Link dropped his shield, drawing his eyes from Wily's head back up to the robot. The smoke had cleared and the decapitated body's leaned forward. At first he thought it was going to fall on them, but the torso tucked back into itself halfway through and folded up into a square. The knees bent, and dropped to the floor. The torso settled on the ground as well. Now it was in the position of an inchworm with is arms spread out. Then it flattened out completely on the ground, spread-eagle.

"You disrespectful whelps," came Wily's voice from points unknown. "I'll crush you all."

The arms suddenly cracked apart, right down the middle, and spread even further apart. The legs did so as well, pulling up closer to the torso, bending in places a human form wouldn't be able to achieve, reaching up to the sides of the trunk The appendages, now eight of them, spaced out evenly, and pushed against the ground, bending in two new different joints unlike before, lifting the body up off the ground. The breast plate on the bottom slid out from under the belly, moving towards them, then back up and around to protect its back, or what was now its top. Where the head had been, now revealed two sets of bulbous red empty arachnid eyes. Two long pincer mandibles projected from the sides of the head. Wily's robot had just changed into a humongous spider-bot, with eight deadly mechanical legs.

Mega Man, Roll, and Link looked aghast.

"You fools," Wily said. "Did you think I'd put my brain permanently inside a robot four stories tall? That's not very convenient, is it? I'd never limit myself to one form..." He lifted one leg and slammed it down into the ground, shaking the arena. "When I can have it all!"

The spider-robot dashed in and out quickly, clicking its eight legs on the metal ground in conjunction, just like a real arachnid on a larger scale. It was able to dart back and forth on its jointed legs, and take fake swipes at the three of them with its taloned front leg. Red lasers fired out from its eyes, peppering the ground. Link and the others jumped in the air to avoid them, and continued moving erratically to prevent being targeted.

Mega Man looked at the spider's repulsive face, interleaved with eyes everywhere, and saw a blue crystal shaped like a crescent moon on its side, protruding out from the forehead.

"Rock," Roll called out. She had already run an analysis the instant Wily spoke. "The vulnerable point-"

"I know!" he shouted back. "You don't have to tell me!" he smiled back. The glint of that crystal was just too familiar. The power gems gave life to many of Wily's complex robots. It was the only way he could get something that large, that powerful, and that complicated off the ground without loading it down with a bulky and cumbersome power source. The disadvantage of using the crystals, though, was that they had to be exposed in order for them to generate the necessary energy, and often exposed in an obvious place That left a neat little targeting point for Mega Man.

Roll dropped back, seeing as now she was rather useless without her guns, except for her visor information. She could hardly believe Wily had made the spider's body surface area so small that he could hardly miss. Mega Man took position at the front, picked up his arm cannon and aimed.

"Oh, no, you don't," Wily boomed. With a snap movement, his right front leg reached out and picked up Link, enclosing him in its razor sharp three-pronged claws. Link's arms were pinned to his side and he struggled futily to free himself, grunting with anger. The arm brought him up to cover the crystal.

"Not this time," Wily said.

The thin mandible pincers jutting out from the sides of the spider's face reached across and grabbed Link's wrists as the claw released him, holding him pinned up, spread out like a hide being tanned, completely blocking the crystal.

Mega Man side-stepped around, trying to get a clear shot at the crystal, keeping his arm cannon and his eyes trained on his target. The spider moved with him, matching his movement step for eight-legged step, keeping Link in his direct line of fire at all times. The human was spread out across nearly the length of his face, so he couldn't strike anywhere without hitting him.

"Try it now," Wily laughed.

Mega Man's furrowed brows, loaded with determination, faded back to an expression of desperation. With his impotent arm cannon still up, he turned to Roll, who was wondering why he was just standing there, not firing his arm cannon.

"Doesn't he have any other weak points?" Mega Man pleaded. He glanced back and forth between the spider and Roll, fear in his eyes. "Any unarmored joints? Open areas? Anything to scan?"

Roll shook her head. "It's the crystal. Just shoot!"

Wily laughed crazily, changing his position erratically, bobbing his head up and down, left and right. "Why don't you shoot, Mega Man? Are you chicken? Ha, ha, ha. Lost your nerve? Come on, shoot me. Shoot me!"

Mega Man gritted his teeth. His eyes turned wide with realization at what had finally happened. Wily knew very well why he couldn't shoot him. Any roboticist would know why he couldn't shoot at him, and he cursed himself for not foreseeing this, for bringing Link into this whole cursed mess. He'd finally found an impenetrable defense, an unbeatable strategy.

"I can't! I can't do it!"

"What?" she asked. "Why?"

"You know why! I can't hit him. I can't fire without the risk of hitting him. I can't risk hitting Link."

"Then free him! Shoot the pincer arms!"

"I can't! They're too close. One misplaced shot could melt his hand. I can't risk it! I can't do it!" Why wasn't she understanding what he meant? She knew what the consequences to himself would be if his programming recognized that he had harmed a human.

"Yes, you can, Rock."

"No, I can't."

"Yes! ... you can," she replied with a sad, serious expression.

Why was she being so vehement that he could? She knew about what would happen, didn't she? Was there something going on here she was trying to say? Mega Man made a quick search through his programming to find out if his suspicions were true. Nothing.

Nothing?

Another search. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. There was nothing there. There should have been something. Where it should have been there was nothing there. There was nothing preventing him from doing what he had to do. He was without the laws. He could harm.

He looked up at Roll, stunned. She bit her lip. Then he knew. She had it too. Or rather, didn't have it. Everything he believed about how robots should act, and the rules they should follow had been based on his personality alone. There was nothing preventing him from operating on his own, from disobeying orders, from acting without guidance. Mega Man didn't know why neither of them had the laws installed, why Dr. Light had done this. The repercussions of what he realized he was overwhelming him. This was too much for him to bear, too much for him to think about right now.

"Why?" he asked weakly. A simple one word question, encapsulating all he was thinking.

"Because you're more than just a robot," Roll answered.

Mega Man looked back up against Link, struggling against the shackles of his captor. This was no time for thinking. This was time for action. Dr. Light had said, every once in a while, great fortunate opportunities come, and it would be a shame to waste them.

Mega Man raised his arm cannon once more, aiming it squarely at Link. He reached down inside himself to his arm cannon and made some adjustments to its mechanics, fine tuning the blast, flattening it, concentrating the energy from a spherical glob to a precision beam. Mega Man was going to have to be more accurate than he had ever been with this. Too many shots with this configuration would result in his cannon burning out. If he had to shoot at Link, he had to keep it down to as few shots as possible. He had to take out that pincer with one hit. Aim small, miss small.

The spider-bot dodged and weaved, keeping the target shifting around. To Wily's surprise, Mega Man fired.

The shot hit just below Link's arm, creating a smoldering black scorch mark with a wisp of smoke emitting. Mega Man fired again. The fine-tuned shot banged against the metal above Link's hand. Another miss. That stupid robot was twisting and moving in and out, even shifting Link in front of the face, moving as randomly as possible.

_One shot. All I need is one._

He fired again.

The plasma beam left Mega Man's arm cannon and collided with the pincer arm right at Link's wrist. The thin arm vaporized with the squeal of metal, mimicking the high squeak of an animal, and dropped away lifeless. Link fell to the side, being held up by one hand over the spider's face, still partially obscuring the crystal. But he was free, and that was all he needed.

Link stabilized his swinging by setting his feet up against the capturing rod, and grabbed something out of his knapsack at his waist. A bomb, his last one, came into has palm. He shoved it into the crystal, held in place by the cradle shape. Knowing his hostage just became useless, the pincer arm threw Link away out onto the floor without warning.

Link landed on the floor roughly below the spider's head and scrambled out of the way, grabbing his bow and arrow out of his holding bag as he rolled. Trying to get to his feet to get out from under the arachnid's range, he twisted his body around and nocked an arrow at the same time. He lost his balance and fell on his back, but he had the bow out in front of him and aimed.

"This one's for Zelda!" he shouted and released.

The arrow flew up, heading straight for the crystal and collided with the armor of the bomb. The detonation created an erupting outburst, shattering the crystal. Blue bits of glass spattered the ground, raining down like snow.

Thick smoke puffed out of the spider's face. It tried to step forward, but its leg buckled, unable to catch the easy ground, and slid out from under him, the body teetering from side-to-side. The other legs tried to stabilize but the energy drained away fast. The legs collapsed and the body of the spider with it. The whole of the contraption plopped onto the floor with a loud metallic clattering.

Mega Man and Roll ran up to Link, pulling him up and out of the range of shrapnel. They stood together, looking at the spider's defeated form. Its legs whirred as the energy was drained and flattened out. The armored back split down the middle and fell off on either side. An ever-present humming drained away at the same time as the red lighted eyes did.

"I'd say its been squashed," Roll beamed.

"Phew," Link said.

Suddenly, the legs of the spider fired out with ringing pops of hydraulic pressure being released. Wires and cords separated, springing out taut. The connections between the legs and the body separated. The thick cylinder that was the trunk of the spider screeched horribly as it slowly turned up on its end, showing a red occult symbol painted on that resembled an eye, gazing ahead to nothingness.

"Aw, it's never that easy," Link shouted with aggravation.

The crimson pupil of the eye flashed on and off, beating like a heart. The core body rose into the air as the light flashed faster and faster. In an instant, the cylinder disappeared, vanished into the night. Link snapped his head back, shocked.

"Bwa ha ha ha ha ha," came an empty voice in the darkness, ethereally echoing.

"What happened?" Link said as Mega Man stepped away from the two of them, looking up at the darkness.

"He's still out there," he muttered. "Somewhere."

As quick as it disappeared, it reappeared behind Mega Man's view, fading in from the cloak. Link pointed and shouted an alert, causing Mega Man to quick spin around just in time to see a volley of purple fireballs launch out from the eye of the core. The fireballs spiraled outward like a funnel, with comet trails tapering away. Link quick ducked under his shield, where two of them collided and diffused. The rest fanned outward. Mega Man and Roll, with no cover, were both hit with the plasma energy, causing a brief electrical discharge of their power levels. They grimaced in pain as they absorbed the fire, recoiling back. As Mega Man recovered enough to bring back his plasma cannon out, the core disappeared again.

Link dropped his shield. "What is going on?"

Mega Man sighed, "Great, not the pod thing again."

"He's done this before?" Roll asked, stupefied.

Mega Man nodded, his eyes darting around for the next appearance. "It's his new 'thing'."

The pod reappeared again, far away in a corner of the room. Plasma balls ejected from the origin point and percolated away. The distance was far enough that Mega Man and Roll were able to dodge the widely spaced plasma, and Link brought up his shield.

Mega Man waved his arm cannon around, trying to track where it might next appear from, but it was useless. Every ounce of darkness looked the same as the next. Another appearance from the left, a showering of fireballs, and disappearing. Mega Man was able to avoid the blow, but Roll wasn't.

"Roll!" Link shouted, holding out his hand for her, even though she was across the room. She took the full force of the blow, shorting out, flashing with electricity, and ended up on her back. Her brother helped her to her feet. Neither of his friends could take much more of this, and it was frustrating him beyond no end.

"Come on out, Wily. Fight for real! Quit hiding behind the darkness."

As if in answer, Wily silently materialize directly above Link's head, unbeknownst to him.

"Look out!" Mega Man shouted too late. The red eye emitted the spiraling circle of violet death. One headed straight for Link's head. Out of some unnamable instinct he fired his arm cannon at the incoming comet, just as Link turned around. The plasma shot went out fast as light, collided with the purple sphere, and deflected it away. It flew outward, away from Link's face and any harm. The robot core vanished.

"Whoa," Mega Man said as he skidded to a stop. "That's never happened before." Plasma wasn't solid so it shouldn't have caused any sort of deflection when two came in contact. He realized his arm cannon was still configured for a high yield shot. That might have caused the reaction.

Link jumped up, excited. "Mega Man, reflect them back. When he appears-"

"What?"

The core came into view, malevolent flashing its blood red heartbeat.. Link ceased speaking and ducked under his shield. Like rhythm, the volley of plasma fanned outward.

Mega Man fired at a plasma orb heading his way. The two shots crashed into each other, causing the trajectory of Wily's ammunition to shift back at an angle, fly up and collide with the red eye. It flashed with electricity, indicating a direct hit.

Mega Man pumped his fist in the air. "Yes, it worked. Everyone gather up!" He rushed into the middle of the arena to get the best view of the next showing.

"There's something very familiar about all this," Link said to himself as he rushed back to his side.

The three of them huddled together again, making one target, rather than three. Roll turned on her visor, trying to scan for its appearance. Maybe there was some clue that would indicate... wait.

"He's over there!" she turned and pointed up into the sky. Sure enough, Wily appeared there. Her tracker had caught a power emission trail zipping from point to point.

The volley of plasma shot out, Link stepped in front and crouched, holding up his shield to protect the two of them. From behind the Hylian, Mega Man fired two shots at the proper angles. They hit like atoms and deflected away, criss-crossing and hitting the core again. Brilliant light flashed outward and it disappeared. The plasma balls that Mega Man didn't hit diffused harmlessly on Link's shield.

"There!" Roll pointed out. The group turned simultaneously to where she pointed. The orange core materialized, and let forth its array of comets. Link shoved through to bring up his guard, thrusting it out against incoming fire. Mega Man got two again, sending them right back to the enemy.

The core suddenly angled to the side, as if something had gone wrong with its engine, and it was struggling to stay aloft. Tendrils of blue electricity danced over its surface. Flashes of light erupted in the arena, as smoke clouded up from the red eye. It looked like they'd finally done it.

"AAAARRRRRGH!" came Wily's voice. "You little... arrrrgh... I've had enough. I'll take you all down if it's the last thing I do."

The faceplate holding the eye, dropped off like a shed skin, revealing a gigantic cannon filling the entire space of the robot core.

"Enjoy your last thirty seconds of life, Rock."

"That cannon!" Mega Man exclaimed.

"It's got a neutron disruption engine," Roll said, repeating what her scanners told her, "It'll wipe out this entire castle!"

A low hum reverberated in the room, the sound of the cannon charging up. That was what he meant by thirty seconds. Mega Man would never have expected this from Dr. Wily, he always knew the scientist as a coward, one who always ran away as the fortress collapsed around him, once he was peeled away from his robot shell. Now that he had been transformed into that robot shell, maybe he thought there was nothing left to lose any longer.

Link leaned into Mega Man's ear. "Toss me."

Mega Man looked back at him with an incredulous expression. "What?"

"You'll have to toss me. We don't have time for this. Trust me." Link pulled the sword out of his sheath.

Mega Man nodded once, hoping the best would be the result. Without warning, he grabbed the back of Link's tunic, squeezed, and heaved him up in the air like a log.

"What are you doing!" Roll gasped.

Link sailed up like a rocket, wind forcing his eyes to water, hair blowing back against his face. He shot just past the pod, slowing down at the apex of the launch, and landed on top of it on his feet. The curved metal surface provided an unstable platform to land on, and his feet gave out from under him, threatening to drop him the same way he came. With quick thinking he stuck his sword in the metal like a pike and climbed back up on the top of the pod.

"What are you doing?" Wily asked.

Link closed his eyes and concentrated, focusing power into his sword. The metal of the blade gleamed with sparkling light, glowing brighter and brighter. Electricity started to wriggle up and down the shaft of the cutting edge. Thunder boomed in the distance. The crackling sparking of Link's sword overshadowed the overpowering hum of Wily's cannon. The sky darkened. Gray clouds formed over Link's head.

Link held the sword of storms up to the sky, tightening both his hands on the hilt. A thick column of lightning from the clouds struck it, feeding into the blade, giving it life, power.

With an enormous battle cry, Link plunged the sword deep into the pod he was standing on. Electricity from above and below soaked into the sword, giving it more and more light.

Wily's pod began to shake violently, trembling like a bomb about to explode, rocking back and forth. Cracks streaked down the orange armor, gleaming out beams of yellow light. The high-pitched whine of sizzling electricity culminated in a frying sound. Link let go of the hilt and vaulted off the pod, just as the machine cannon exploded in a shower of sparks. Link plummeted back to the ground, his arms and legs spread out like a flying squirrel. Mega Man and Roll saw he was descending and moved to catch him. They brought him in by the arms and pulled him back upright.

Smoke, fire, and lightning, rained down from above. Minor explosions ruptured out of the pod, breaking it apart. In a final rupture, an immeasurable explosion blasted from the core, bathing the three down below in striking heat. Smoke puffed out in all directions. From the cloud, a single body in a white coat dropped out, and landed on the floor on his back.

Groaning in pain, writhing like an upturned bug, he sluggishly moved his aged bones, rotating back onto his stomach. With pain, he opened his eyes, and put his hands on the floor to push himself back up.

Suddenly, a broadsword plunged into the ground in front of him, inches away from his face. The man's eyes opened wide in surprise, looking at the mighty blade embedded in the metal.

The sword yanked up, lifted by Link's hand, who reset his grip and pointed its spiked tip at the man's head.

"Dr. Wily, I presume," he said, glaring down at him. Mega Man and Roll came up behind him as well.

"Dr. Wily?" Roll said. "But your body... your brain..."

"Just a robot shell I manipulated."

"But we saw the blood..."

"A body bag full of ketchup," he uttered. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't make the program work. It was impossible. I tried and tried, but I couldn't figure it out in time. So I did the next best thing."

Mega Man replied, "You made us think you had put your brain inside a robot."

Dr. Wily nodded. "I couldn't follow Dr. Selkirk's schematics." He pounded the ground with his feeble fist. "I couldn't figure out how to make his vision mine."

"You know what you're problem is," Link said. "You never vary your methods, never do anything original. Every time you try to take over the world, you do the same thing."

Roll interjected, "The same disappearing-reappearing pod thing, the same robot masters."

"And every one is just based off of Dr. Light's original six," Mega Man interjected. "How many Guts Man copies have there been? How many Cut Men? Everything you do is stolen. You stole Dr. Selkirk's idea. You stole Dr. Light's designs. You stole Dr. Cossack's daughter even and tried to use him to do the exact same thing. Did you really think I never suspected it was you? Everything you do is stolen off someone else's idea. You could never create an original design. You're just like any other madman. Accurate view of the problem, insane view of the solution."

Mega Man picked up Dr. Wily's hands, and lifted his body up by them as if he weighed nothing. Roll gave him as set of handcuffs she had secured from the robot detainment center. Her brother accepted them gladly.

"Dr. Albert Wily, you are under arrest for various crimes against humanity," he said as he hooked them around his wrists. He went around to his back and shoved him forward. Link and Roll gave each other a knowing wink at a job well done as they led the troop out.

Dr. Wily, his hands bound in chains, rolled his eyes back, peeking at his captor and nemesis from the corner of his eye. "Nothing original, huh?" he snickered to himself. "I'll show you, Mega Man. Just you wait."

**Next Chapter: Goodbye**


	29. Chapter 61: Goodbye

_Chapter 61: Goodbye_

"The famed Mega Man has once again made our world safe from robot tyranny as he brought in the captured Dr. Wily to the world government law enforcement offices. But this time he wasn't alone. Laura Miller is there with the story."

The screen switched to Laura Miller, a redheaded reporter with a blue suit. "Thanks, Megan. We're standing outside the law enforcement headquarters where Mega Man had just finished talking to reporters after delivering Dr. Wily for imprisonment awaiting trial."

The screen switched to Mega Man standing in front of many microphones and recording sticks, with camera flashes going off behind them. Roll stood next to Mega Man behind his left shoulder, mimicking the stoic face her brother had, while Link looked around at all the people and places curiously.

Mega Man said, "Dr. Wily has been successfully captured alive. I just handed him over to the proper authorities so they can convey justice upon him. His escape from Siberia was no mistake, there was no way it could have been prevented. He had a contingency plan in case of his eventual capture where he stored copies of robot masters with the powers he needed in an underground vault in Antarctica. The vault, and his castle, have been destroyed, of course. So we hope to prevent another occurrence of this."

One of the reporters frantically called Mega Man's name to ask a question. "Are you anticipating another escape by Dr. Wily after this capture?"

Mega Man answered very politically, "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. If Dr. Wily does strike again in some way, I will always be there to stop him and his schemes."

"Is it true you had assistance during this mission."

"It is, my partners are right here. Of course, you know my robotic sister, Roll."

She gave a polite wave as more flashes went off.

"And to my left is Link."

More cameras flashed and Link made the same wave hesitantly unsure of what exactly was going on.

A reporter spoke up. "Is it true that he's a human?"

"Yes."

This created an amazing buzz in the crowd, and they started piping up like chickens. "Link, Link," they called out. "How do you feel about working with a robot?"

Link looked at Mega Man for answers. "What do I do?"

"Just answer any questions you want to," he smiled.

Link turned back to the small white stick being almost shoved into his mouth. "I feel just fine about it. Why wouldn't I?"

"Where are you from?" another asked.

"Um, Hyrule."

"Where is Hyrule?" they asked without hesitation.

"It's um... um... very... um... far away?"

"What do you do in Hyrule."

"Technically, my title is a royal knight of Hyrule castle, but I'm really more of an adventurer."

Roll jumped in, "He's working for an agency as an undercover operative. No comment about that."

"What weapons did you use to fight the robots?"

"Mostly my trusty sword. Can't believe it held up so well. My shield broke a while back, but I got a new one that's much better. And I used my hookshot a lot. And bombs."

"How were you able to fight the robots without a plasma weapon of any kind?"

"Well, fortunately, the magic came back into my rods, so I was able to use those just in the nick of time."

Mega Man and Roll were trying to stifle their bemused giggles at the blank faces of the reporters. They were trying to maintain their dignity with serious questions.

"Is it true you were at the demonstration at the robot detainment facility?"

"I was there. I broke it up, in fact. I can't believe anyone would try and attack Mega Man like that."

"Do you plan on assisting Mega Man in the future?"

"Well," he looked at his friend. "I would, but I have to get back to Hyrule. My people need me there. Just like you people need Mega Man here."

"Why did you decide to assist Mega Man?"

Link thought for a brief moment. "I could say that it was to return the favor that he showed me in my world. Or I could say that I simply wanted to explore this new environment. Or I could say I felt obligated to help because I was a bit of a burden to him through our adventures. But I think the real reason is, because he's my friend." He smiled at Mega Man, and he smiled back.

"How did you meet up with Mega Man?"

"He actually dropped into Hyrule by accident, helped me out quite a bit. And I came here, by just about the same accident. It's a funny story really. You see, there was a moblin attack in the village. Well, first, Ganondorf had manipulated some events and artifacts to convince us there was a fourth piece to the Triforce, and so-"

"Uh, no more questions," Mega Man interrupted holding his hand against Link to block him from the reporters, "No more questions, we have a limited timetable we have to keep to for Dr. Wily's arraignment, thank you very much."

The voiceover of the reporter vocalized, "After the interview, the three of them went back in and arranged for Dr. Wily's extradition. He's expected to stand trial later this month. Both Mega Man and Roll promised to give a full exclusive interview later after things had settled down. In other news, Titanium-X, a new lightweight alloy is making vast strides in-"

Mega Man reached over to the console and shut off the monitor. It flattened to a white line and disappeared. He rested back against the chair and looked over at Link, who was leaned forward with rapt attention. It was probably his first time seeing himself on video, interacting with people as he normally would. It was the first time he had been interviewed and broadcast to millions and billions. Mega Man crossed his arms and asked, "Well? What do you think?"

Link, still looking at the video screen said, "Does my voice really sound like that?"

Roll snickered.

"Um, well," Mega Man stammered, "The voice recording mechanics often add in interference and distortion noise sometimes," he lied. Of course, the audio reception was crystal clear.

"All they did was talk to me," Link said. "They didn't ask you anything," he said to his friend.

"It didn't bother me. I've been interviewed so many times by reporters its become routine. The same events, the same questions, the same answers. They could probably just replay a tape of my last interview. I've had my fill of them. How about you, Roll?"

She shrugged, "I didn't care. You know me, I'm not much for being the center of attention."

The door behind them opened with a quiet shush. Dr. Light tip-tapped the metal floor with the rubber end of his cane, holding onto a thick stack of paper in his hand, reading as he walked. His leg was still wrapped in a light blue covering.

"Dr. Light," Mega Man greeted.

"Hello kids, Link," he nodded.

"What're you looking at there, Doctor?" Roll asked.

"I've been going over Dr. Selkirk's notes, the ones they found in Dr. Wily's database."

"Those are the ones gleaned from the computer," Mega Man half-asked, half-stated.

Dr. Light nodded. "Yes, they are just amazing. Just amazing. They're a work of complete genius."

"So you can understand them?" Mega Man asked.

"Not a lick of it." He shook the pages in front of him. "This is complete spaghetti code."

"Spaghetti code?" Link asked.

"It's completely indecipherable. One line references another, that references another, that references another. You can't keep track of it at all. One part of code contains twenty functions that do the same thing, and another has one function that should be split into thirty. It's pure genius, but the notes are so muddled and disordered. There's no logical progression to it at all. It would take years just to set up an experiment that would test these theories, let alone actually implementing it." He tapped the edge of the stack on the side of a console, straightening the edges. "Wily really shouldn't feel so bad. No one could do what Selkirk intended. He was definitely on the shallow end of the sanity pool." He set the stack of papers on the desk and looked at the three of them. "Well, I just came down here to tell you that I finished working on the transporter and it should be ready to go."

The three stood up from the chairs, surprised. They knew it was inevitable, but like all things they knew were unavoidable, they didn't expect it to come so soon. "It's all ready to go?" Mega Man asked.

"Exactly to my last known specifications. I mean, I made it the same way I did before it was destroyed, so it should be an exact duplicate."

"Did you test it?" Mega Man asked.

"Yeah," Roll said. "There are a million variables that could be a factor here. It could dump him in some region of space. How do you know it's actually going to deposit him in Hyrule?"

"It will," Link said quietly, his eyes downcast. "I'm tied to Hyrule. It's part of me and I'm part of it. My destiny is in Hyrule, and I can't escape it. It won't let me escape. If I can't find my way back to Hyrule, Hyrule will find it's way back to me."

There was a moment of silence.

Dr. Light hmphed, "Well, I'm certainly glad you believe that. I wish you could stay a bit longer so we could investigate this strange phenomenon surrounding you," he said, referring to Link's magic, "But I agree with Rock. It's best for both our worlds if you leave expediently. Don't want to have a rip in the space-time continuum," he said with a jolly grin. "Do you have everything?"

Link patted his holding bag. "All I got is what I came here with, and that's all I'll leave with."

Light nodded and turned around, leading the four of them out into a hallway under the manor in the lab complex. Mega Man and Roll walked side by side at the back, Link treaded between the doctor and the robots. Dr. Light had performed many experiments on Link's magic elements in between breaks repairing the transporter. Every test had come up with pretty much the same results Mega Man had. There was nothing special about the scepters, yet fire and ice spontaneously formed and poured out like milk from a carton. There were no refrigeration coils or fusion generators like Dr. Light had expected. He could find no connection between what he was seeing and 'magic'. A more obsessed man would have imprisoned Link, trying to find out the secret to this power and to harness it, but Dr. Light was never that sort of person. He had no covetous nature when it came to power. His specialty was making robots, not magic.

"You've certainly had an interesting time here," Dr. Light said to Link, making idle conversation. "I'm glad you got to see a little of what my s-, I mean, Rock, has to go through in life."

"Well, that's all right," Link smiled. "He got to see a little of what I have to go through in my life. It was only fair."

The door to the transporter room opened and there it was. The same as when Roll and Rock had last seen it. A large hollow metal wheel, about twice the height of any of them, with a controlling computer attached next to it. Dr. Light charged in and approached the control box. With a few clicks and snaps of buttons, a faint charging hum activated and the machine turned on. The hollow space inside the circle turned into a shimmering gold surface, undulating rhythmically.

"It's all ready," Light said, and turned back to the three younger companions standing behind him. Link, closest to the circle, stood with his back against it, paying it no attention and facing his two friends. The three of them just stood just inside the room, looking around at the floor with small mouths, acting like three year olds waiting for punishment.

Dr. Light was about to repeat himself for fear of them not hearing him the first time. Then he realized what was going on. They were saying their goodbyes, and finding it more difficult than they had realized. He had no idea they had bonded so much with such a total stranger in such a short amount of time. He found even himself getting misty eyes, though not certain whether from the tearful goodbye, or how well his progeny's A.I. had developed to this level.

Link turned to Roll, trying to hold his head high, but struggling. "Goodbye, Roll. Thanks for everything." He spoke the words right into his eyes, then shifted them away.

Roll leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Link's eyes opened a little wider. It was a powerful kiss, more powerful than if it had been on the lips. "Say hello to your Zelda for me," she said.

Link smiled and lightly nodded twice. He turned over to face Mega Man, his friend, his battle partner. There were no words he could think that would be appropriate after all they had been through. He held out his hand to shake. Mega Man took it and grabbed it, pulling it up and down. It would be the last common thing between their two worlds he might ever learn.

Link grasped him about the shoulder and pulled him into a hug. "Guess now we've got a bit more time to say goodbye, but I don't really know what to say."

"Yeah, neither do I," Mega Man said. No human had ever embraced him like one of their own. He just soaked up the experience, better without words. "Oh," he said, pulling himself out after an appropriate time had passed. "A little bird told me you took a shine to this while you were here."

He reached behind him and pulled out a white and pink cylinder with the words 'Fairy Juice' written in elaborate letters.

Link laughed out loud in surprise and happily took the can. "Oh, heh, thanks."

"Just a little something to remember us by," Roll said.

"Thanks," he replied as he put the can into his bag. "This'll be a great trick to play on Zelda," he schemed.

With one final sigh the Hylian put a hand on Link's shoulder. "I won't forget you."

Mega Man put his hand on Link's shoulder as well. It was hard metal, but more human than he had ever felt. "I'll always remember you," he said.

They released their grips simultaneously. Link turned around and faced the black and gold sea, floating there in space. His mind played over all the events he had seen in his time here and there, teleporting, watching ghosts, racing a hydroski, tunneling underground. There wouldn't be anything about this he'd forget.

He craned his head back, looked at Roll once, and Rock once. "See you later," he smirked.

With that, he bounded up and leapt into the portal. The surface rippled like water from the impact Link made. Dr. Light consulted the diagnostics on the computer readout next to the control panel.

"Transportation was successful, as far as I can tell," he said.

Mega Man nodded. The two siblings thought of how rather anticlimactic that was. Link was there and just has suddenly as he appeared, he disappeared. The void that he left was immediate. The three of them were like soldiers with no more war to fight, and returned to their points of origin. As in all things, an ending must come about. Time and people might change, the world will keep turning, nothing is static. But the memory remains.

**Next Chapter: Epilogue**


	30. Chapter 62: Epilogue

_Epilogue_

Link's boots pressed down into the spongy sand below them, displacing it. The tiny ocean-soaked pebbles resisted against his foot, forcing him to use more muscle than usual to push against the wooden boat. The slick surface was helpful though, as it provided less traction for the ship to rail against as he grunted with each heave of the craft Salty sea air sprayed against Link's face as he breathed in the breezy scent. He stopped pushing at the edge of the world, the neutral zone where water and land mingled.

He wiped his hot and moist brow, half-heated from the sun and half from the grunt work, and took a moment to look at the vast infinite landscape in front of him. The ocean waves slurped against the shores, like saliva from a giant mouth, eager to swallow him in. And he was about to let it.

His adventures and incidents through his own world, and Mega Man's, had shown him that the peace in Hyrule was precarious at best. Ganondorf was still out there, evil was still out there. And it would never rest. Even if the goddesses hadn't made a mistake, allowing the keeper of power infinitesimal time, another malevolent force would rear its ugly head and bring chaos on the order of the kingdom. There was always some price to pay for peace, and living under the constant threat of evil was the debt to be paid. The people of Hyrule were worried what would happen next, what would be the next threat. And, in truth, Link was the same way.

But if evil would never rest, then neither would he. He would never stop his vigilance over the safety of the kingdom he'd grown a new appreciation for. He'd seen how easily it could all be wiped out with just a flick of the wrist, and he couldn't let that happen by his own inactivity. Just because there were no looming perils to the kingdom didn't mean he couldn't prepare for them. And preparation meant venturing beyond the borders of Hyrule.

He wasn't about to stay there, stuck in his ways and the traditions of the people. The culture that didn't change was a culture that wouldn't last very long. Though he would never say it to their faces, the lands and people of the kingdom were holding him back, constricting him, preventing him from self-actualization. The bordered land had become constrictive, and he realized he had learned all he could from the country. Even he felt, in some small part, guilty of their traditionalist views, and his reaction to learning the legacy of his past and his future had shown him that if he was going to learn anymore, he would have to explore new lands and new ideas. He was not ready for the dangers Hyrule was about to face. He had to seek enlightenment and perspective, and as much as he hated to leave Hyrule, he would find no answers in it. If Mega Man had taught him anything, there were more people and things out there in the world than grains of sand on this beach.

Before he gave one more irrevocable push of the boat into the waves he did a mental check, making sure he had remembered everything he would need. A month's worth of food and supplies was stored in a compartment in the bottom of the craft, stocked to the maximum space allowable. If there was a leak, they would likely be ruined, but room was limited on a sailboat meant for one person. He wasn't very concerned though. It was built sturdy with wood from the mysterious forest. At the stern was a rudder he could manipulate with one hand from the main deck, well, the only deck, while he could control the sail with the other. The center of the boat had a pole stuck around a strong, solid base that flew one big sail decorated with the ancient scribe for wind. It was already flapping in the airstream, excited to get out into the open space.

Link turned around and looked back behind him at Hyrule Castle. Somehow, over the mountains and desert, he could still see the country's citadel in shadow, the hub of Hyrule, the ever-seeing eye looking out at all the sections it governed. The tall lookout spire in the middle was the most noticeable. Zelda was probably looking out from it right now, like a sailor's wife at the lighthouse. He mentally said goodbye to her one last time and shoved his boat into the water, quickly jumping in.

Zelda was at the tallest spire of the castle, looking out into the direction of the sea from the balcony, alone and solitary. Her long blond hair trailed behind her, played with in the fingers of the wind, the same wind that was carrying Link away from her. She stared motionless, her face unsmiling, with her hands at her sides, stuck like a statue at the apex of the castle.

She kept telling herself that Link did what he had to do. And that he was doing it for the good of the country. The same country she'd sworn to uphold as well. It was inevitable that their lives were separated by their roles, but connected by the powers of the Triforce, beyond anything they could comprehend. But all that philosophical thinking was the furthest thing from her mind at this point. All she could think about was Link. And that maybe, she should have told him how she felt before she left. But she lacked Link's mark of the Triforce to tell him, and her own had won out.

But maybe that was a good thing, maybe she should have kept it to herself. It wasn't proper for a princess to associate romantically with anything other than royal blood. People would talk. Authority would give way to gossip, and it would be impossible to get anything done, because no one would respect you enough to do it for you. The crown was useless if people undermined what it stood for. So maybe it was better for everyone that Link ventured out into unfamiliar territory, intent on protecting Hyrule. Maybe it was better it was separate, and that would give her time to shut up her heart.

Her role given to her by the powers that be was so frustrating. It was like having a map, and then having it being taken away when you got to the destination, and everything suddenly becomes unfamiliar. You were never quite sure what to do when everything was done. When evil was defeated, what were you supposed to do after? How do you prepare for the next coming? What do you do? Let your role sit idle? Remain stagnant? What did the goddesses intend for them to do after all was said and done? Their plan was obvious - prepare for the next generation - but there was never any direction on how to execute it.

The legends always told them what happened with Link's connection to Zelda, but never said a word about Link's relationship with Zelda. Especially after peace had returned. That was the funny thing. They never told how the legendary hero was supposed to come about. Or about how he was connected to the bloodlines of the past. He certainly could not have been randomly chosen, the associations were too obvious to be so. What was it that made the link to the past?

Maybe the goddesses wanted to leave that for them to figure out. After it ended, their lives were up to them, how to continue the legacy. Maybe there was no guide. And maybe that was for the best.

* * *

"I have the apple you wanted, Dr. Light," Roll said, announcing her presence.

Dr. Light was arm-deep in the computer console of the transporter, performing some major surgery on it.

"Oh, thank you, Roll. Can you just set it on the table there?" he nodded to where he wanted the fruit placed. Roll did so and stood back, watching Dr. Light dip his face into the box, trying to see the components in darkness.

"This'll just take a moment," he mumbled, concentrating wholly on his project, two tools in each hand. "It's almost ready to test. Oh," he said suddenly, "I've set out the parts I needed to take off your battle upgrades. After I'm done with this, we can start on that. Shouldn't take too much time. It's always less time to downgrade than to upgrade."

Roll nodded in thanks.

Dr. Light looked back at her. "Are you sure you still want to go through with it?"

"Yes," Roll said simply. "All the time, I always wondered why Mega Man wanted to fight alone. Why he always went alone, when he could have had help from people like me. But now I realize why he does it. It's the same reason I had. He doesn't want to see people suffer."

Dr. Light nodded in understanding. Roll was fulfilling the wishes of her brother by staying out of the line of fire. "Very well."

Moments later, Mega Man opened the door to the lab and came down the ramp, dressed in his familiar armor. "Hi," he greeted. "I heard you were about to give the transporter its first alpha test. I didn't want to miss it."

Dr. Light pulled his wrists out and closed up the panel on the console. "Didn't want to miss it? Or wanted to make sure nothing weird came through."

"Well, that too," he confessed.

Roll gave him a sarcastic smirk from her position leaning up against the table with her arms crossed. Rock stood beside her, watching the center of the portal.

Dr. Light kneeled down to the control box. "Here we go," he said excitedly. The thrumming of the machine brought to life reverberated against the metal walls. A brief flash of electricity flared against the metal circle and the black and gold shimmer appeared like a window screen.

"Readouts normal," Dr. Light said, glancing between the beautiful swelling surface and the computer monitor scrolling through lines of text. "I/O nominal... power output good, network flow good..." His eyes moved back and forth rapidly. "What th'?" he suddenly said.

Roll and Mega Man jumped out of the lazy poses and looked at Dr. Light for answers.

He looked up at the portal. "Something's coming through!"

The three of them all looked at the vortex, which suddenly pulsated like a heartbeat, ready to spit out something. A man bounded out of the curtain, wearing red overalls and a blue shirt, topped with a cap. He was very stout, and had a big bushy mustache. With a flourish he landed on his stubby legs and held his arms up.

"It's-a me! Mario!"

"OH NO!"

**THE END**


	31. Author's Notes & Acknowledgements

**Author's Notes, Thanks, and Trivia**

I want to preface this by giving a very special thanks to everyone who enabled me to write this story. Thanks to blondie91, my first reviewer, and da marshmallow, Grey-X, Dragon Man 180, linkmaster2832, eventyraren who have been reading and reviewing since the beginning, and all the reviewers in between who just popped a note of appreciation. You guys are the reason I'm motivated to write in the first place. Also special thanks to my wife and my parents who didn't really help with the story at all, and frankly don't like to read this stuff, but without which, I would not be here. Also a special thanks to all the websites who freely offered data on these two great series that gave me the information to make this the story that was.

Thisstory was started in 1995. That's two years after Link's Awakening and Mega Man 6. No, I'm not slow, I just took some very long breaks, which is why the first handful of chapters were very crappy and the rest were just regular crappy. This was what I intended to write after my Quake story. I wanted to try something less dark and serialized, an experiment for me. I've found that if I can just make the story long and meandering, it might be good. With no direction on where the story was going, I got up to chapter 4 in 1997, at a rate of about a chapter a year.Then Istopped and wrote most of the other stories you see on my profile. It wasn't until I got a (real) job in 2003 that I picked it back up again, so I had something to do at work during down time. I completed all the chapters at once, before publishing any, so I wouldn't be caught in a writer's block and have everyone forget the story and lose interest.

And now trivia and "behind-the-scenes" stuff:

-In chapter 12, the guard questions why Buzzy looks so short. Link replies "He's been sick," which has been a favorite line of mine in old cartoons and such.

-Originally, Link's prophetic dream sent him to the desert, (this was before I put it down for six years).Later, this didn't make sense for where I needed the lost woods to be. Plus moblins don't live in the desert. You can see they stick to wooded areas in most of the Zelda games.

-Noktwor's name comes from part of the magic spell in "Willow".

-In chapter 51, "Robot Fighting Time" was the catchphrase of the old show "Battlebots", where homemade mechanical robots fought against each other.

-In chapter 44, Link's civilan outfit is based on his clothes in "The Wind Waker".

-The RJ-202 Metonicle is the same name of one of the mechaniloids in Mega Man X (the big green one you fight in Sting Chameleon's stage).

-In Chapter 39, Link watches a TV clip regarding "The Rag Dogs". See my other story "ZerOthello" for an easter egg regarding this.

-Frankenstein and Pinnochio are two books featured prominently in Short Circuit 2, a movie about a robot trying to fit in with humans.

-The plasma cutter also shows up in Short Circuit 2, where it is used for cutting three-feet of titanium steel alloy. I think it's a fictional device, but who knows by now.

-Mega Man's rise after he emerges from the portal in Chapter 33 is meant to be like "The Terminator".

-"We are the reinforcements" comes from Vagrant Story, a favorite video game of mine.

-Chapter 39 makes a reference to the Creative Commons license. In the future, any creative work made by an author no longer living is put under this license, where it is free for use, making copyright infringement a thing of the past (I can dream).

-I think most of signs on Grizzled Jack's cabin ("Go Away! This means you!") are lifted from "The Wizard of Oz".

-The quote "I waste no time, only stalfos" comes from the game Worms.

-If you hit a chicken with your sword a lot of times (around forty, I think), a whole bunch of chickens will come and attack you. Link is scared of chickens because of this, just like David Boreanaz. I didn't really put it in there for that reason, just a coincidence.

-Link mentions "a rhino's bargain" in a metaphor. This comes from a quote from Magic: The Gathering.

-Captain Horatio's name comes from Captain Horatio Hornblower. Quite honestly I have no idea what that means, I just needed a quick pirate name.

-When Roll is being pursued by the Yellow Devil, the sound "Doom, Doom, Doom" reverberates in the space station. This is a reference to Lord of the Rings, when the Balrog comes upon them in the Mines of Moria.

-Impa is named for the Impa from Legend of Zelda: The Adventures of Link, who was Zelda's nursemaid (this is probably where Impa in Ocarina of Time came from too, but they are all different characters).

-Throughout the story, there are many parallels between Link's world and Mega Man's world. For example, sources of energy (energy cores/potions), one-eyed enemies (cyclops/yellow devil), power-hungry super villains, etc. Can you spot anymore?

-In chapter 7, I mention the spiral of shame. This is lifted from Final Fantasy X (Spira).

-In chapter 25, Link tries opening a locked door with brute force, by slamming into it. I wrote that because, who hasn't been frustrated by constantly coming up to a door and hammering it with your sword in frustration?

-Carbonated caramel water is cola.

-In chapter 25, there is a quote about someone watching over someone "like a loving parent over a sleeping child". This is a quote from Magic: The Gathering, and also shows up in my original story "The Heretic".

-In chapter 48, someone is named Funaking. This is a homage to Inafune, director of Mega Man.

-Who is the voice that talks to Link in the chamber of history? Is it Kaepora Gaebora, the owl? The gods themselves? The mask salesman?

-In chapter 27, someone says "some whirlwind dropped him here". This is an obvious reference to the original Legend of Zelda, and the warping whistle.

-In chapter 43, there is the mention of Kaufman Cabs and the South Point Mall. Both of these are references to Grand Theft Auto.

-The gold/black shimmering pattern of the gate portals is exactly the same as the portals in Quake.

-In chapter 33, Link mentions he feels "frozen on the inside, but burning on the inside." This is a reference to Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.

-In chapter 34, Mega Man tackles some small helicopter robots. These are based on a design from Teenage Mutant Turtles 2: The Arcade Game.

-"The way through is shut" is lifted from Lord of the Rings.

-In chapter 9, one of the passwords suggested is "Chris sent me". This is a homage to Chris Houlihan, a contest winner who had a secret room named after him in Link to the Past.

-In chapter 36, there is a character named Reno. This is named after a character in Final Fantasy 7.

-I don't believe there's a real drink called the "Fuzzbump", but it comes from the game "The Kingdom of Loathing", a browser-based comedy MMORPG. The "continuum transfunctioner" in chapter 45 is also from this game.

-According to various sources, Mega Man is actually 132 cm tall (4'4") and his weight is 105 kg (231 lbs.). For the purposes of this story, his height was increased to be the same as Link's - 5'6" (the average height of a Japanese male). Mega Man is actually slightly taller with his helmet.

-Zelda talks about being surrounded by "frickin' idiots", this is a direct homage to Austin Powers.

-In chapter 56, the lights turn blue, not green, because that is the way it is in Japan. Those of you who've played Resident Evil 2 see this quite prominently.

-In chapter 30, someone says "There is no knowledge, that is not power". This is another reference to Mortal Kombat (specifically, MK3).

-Throughout the story there are several references to Garfield, Ninja Turtles, the unabomber, and Homestar Runner. See if you can spot them.

-Roll talks about the advances in A.I. that have forced robots into slavery. She says "they made us too fast, too quick, and too many". This is from the movie A.I. which is also about robots.

-In chapter 11, Mega Man says "Now that's playing with power". This was Nintendo's old slogan, up to about midway through the Super Nintendo days.

-Link's internal questioning at the end of chapter 1 echoes the reflections made at the end of Mega Man X.

-In chapter 13, someone mentions Romani steak. It appears that the Termina ranch has branched out into more than just milk!

-Link's inventory throughout the story: a few magic bottles, boomerang, lantern, sack for magic powder, fire rod, ice rod, hookshot, bombs (obtained in chapter 7), fairy in a bottle (obtained in chapter 16), bow and arrows (given by Zelda).

-The news quote in chapter 2 is based off one of Isaac Asimov's robot stories, about a robot who went nuts because he had a strongly emphasized order to obey the third law, and a weakly emphasized order to obey the second. I always thought this was stupid because robots and computers operate in a very binary, on/off, this or that, way of thinking.

-"Licking main street" as a punishment comes from "Bruno the Bandit", an online comic strip.

-In chapter 41, the museum holds Rex, the first police robot. This is a reference to the Ninja Turtles cartoon.

-I contemplated putting Dr. Kossack's and Kalinka's dialogue into Russian using the Babelfish translator, but thought better of it for various reasons.

-In chapter 9, Dr. Light soliloquies that the adjustment of people's social mores "takes generations". And it's a "time he won't live to see". This foreshadows the main plot of Mega Man X.

-"We got the tools, we got the talent!" comes from Ghostbusters.

-Poppleberry wine is from Fraggle Rock.

-In chapter 56, the space elevator comes from the anime "Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040".

-The Zephos train is named after the Zephos of The Wind Waker, which in turn is named after the actual Greek god of wind (Zephyr).

-In chapter 48, Hikari Enzan's raceway is obviously named for the character in Mega Man: Battle Network (AKA Mega Man.EXE).

-In chapter 54, Link says "No one tosses a Hylian", an obvious allusion to Lord of the Rings.

-Finally, there was Gatecrash Jams. As anyone knows of my other writings, most of my major written workshave a soundtrack associated with them. I downloaded a whole bunch of music from OverclockedRemix and VGmix during the time of writing to help inspire me. I selected some of the best (along with two normal songs) to put on a sort of semi-soundtrack. Here is a track list and where you can find them.

1. Rage - Back in Time  
2. Stage 3-1 - The Legend of Zelda Theme (VGMix)  
3. Project X - Mega Man 2 Project X2 (Title Screen) (OCremix)  
4. virt - Blood of Ganon (VGMix)  
5. dj Fezik - Wily, plz (VGMix)  
6. Gux - Mega Man 3 It's Boss Time (OCRemix)  
7. K Praslowicz - Zelda Fear and Sufferance (OCRemix)  
8. Beej - Fragments of Gold (OCRemix)  
9. Flik - Kakariko Prom (OCRemix)  
10. McVaffe - Gemini Salsa (OCRemix)  
11. Prozax - Wily's Ambition (VGMix)  
12. Pixietricks - Prayer (OCRemix)  
13. Game Over - Cataclysmic Clash (OCRemix)  
14. CarboHydroM - The Imprisoning War (VGmix)  
15. Destiny, TheWingless - Eutopia Pegasi (OCRemix)  
16. Dr. Asuul - Dr. Asuul (OCRemix)  
17. Sukotto42 - Blue Balls (VGMix)  
18. GaMeBoX - The Fifth Season (StS 2005 Edition) (VGMix)  
19. DarkeSword - Ancient Hero (OCRemix)  
20. Ra - Sky


End file.
